


POISON | Love Her

by MetallicSharpie



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-25
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-01-16 23:26:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 85,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1365595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MetallicSharpie/pseuds/MetallicSharpie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin is offered an opportunity to work in one of the country's most famed gentlemen clubs, and a chance to get rid of her father's abusive hand. She quickly learns how far her decisions reach, becoming tangled in the affairs of notorious crime lords. Desperate to gain control of her life, she finds strange solace when conversing with a cold, aloof businessman over ice cream...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Blue Moon

POISON | Love Her

**Chapter 1**

_Blue Moon_

'Thoughts'

_Flashbacks_

Original Publish Date: 3/18/2014

**Warning:** Physical abuse, sexual assault, and mild torture are elements that will for-sure be in this story, especially the first one. If you have an issue with this, ppllleeeaaasssseee hit the back button. There will be some chapters that are all sunshine and rainbows and fluff! Now, on to the story!

* * *

"Rin, hurry up! Kaguya is getting anxious!" Kagome whispered harshly from the doorway that leads to the stage, waving her hand towards her. The younger woman looked up at her friend, nodding quickly before she readjusted her bra, made sure her half-up pigtails and hat were secure, and smoothed out the bottom half of her nurse costume.

It was Saturday night and the business was packed with men. Powerful and dangerous men of human and youkai, belonging to different gangs across the country. It usually wasn't like this, with so many potentially-violent clientele cramped in the moderately-sized room, but with the recent shift of power between crime lords, the central-west area became a 'safe zone' so to speak. The 'Blue Moon' gentlemen's club was smack in middle of the safe zone, only two streets down from the famed Delfino hotel.

Kaguya must have thought Rin was oblivious to all of this, but her boss didn't know her father ran one of the larger gangs in the eastern region, under Ryūkotsusei's rule. The young woman  _needed_  to know all of this, unless she wished to be beaten for her ignorance… "Come on!" The petite woman ran past Kagome, hurrying on to the stage until she stood behind the center curtains.

Rin was nervous, which was a strange feeling for her. She hadn't been nervous on the stage for a long time now, 'But all those men out there…' Men her father surely knew. She had to be careful, a wrong move and her father would surely hear of it. She glanced to the side and saw Kagome mouthing a 'good luck' just as the curtains began to open.

-:-

"Good, sounds like they enjoyed your performance." Kaguya mumbled over the sound of hollering men. They were backstage again; this time Kagome getting ready to go up, wearing her signature school-girl costume. One of the dedicated waitresses approached the pair, a tall, tanned cat youkai with golden blonde hair that reached just below her waist, named Minako.

"Rin! Room 3 wants you." The young woman frowned, she had hoped to avoid any private sessions with the crowd they had today.

Kaguya gave her a slight push, "Go now. We can't afford to make any of these men angry." Rin nodded, before following Minako down the backstage and into the main room.

"I tried telling him you are mute, but he insisted." The cat youkai shrugged, "I've never seen him around here before. I'll make sure Hiro keeps on an eye on you, 'kay?" Rin nodded, giving the feline a weak smile. Minako was always looking out for her, something she was truly grateful for, but one glimpse of the tall man slipping into room 3 several feet away told her she might need more than just the bouncer keeping a half-hearted watch. "I need to get back to the bar, be careful." The feline youkai gave her hand a quick squeeze before dashing off and returning to her duties.

Rin exhaled before straightening up, flicking a lock of her wild, dark brown hair over her shoulder and strutting over to the booth. She ignored the calls of the thugs as she made her way in the wide hall, lined with small private rooms. Most were full, and some were a bit... noisy to her sensitive hearing. The young woman shook her head; she wasn't the type to do _that_  but understood the other girls' reason resorting to those activities. The majority of the dancers at this club had a story, and needed all the money they could earn to change the ending.

Rin quietly slid inside Room 3, slowly shutting the frosted glass door behind her as she set her eyes on her client. The man was fairly built and on the taller side, with surprisingly soft, brown eyes, long raven hair, and wore an all-black suit, black shirt, red tie—nothing too out of the ordinary. 'Though he is dressed very well, he is not like the others out there…' The young woman stood in front of him, just within arm's reach in the small room. She noticed the wine glass in his hand, filled with a deep red liquid. 'He is drinking wine,  _here_?' She wasn't even aware they had wine. 'Maybe he is bit out of the ordinary.'

"Your performance was excellent; I was pleasantly surprised by your movements. Have you ever done gymnastics?" The woman jumped a bit at the sound of his voice, not expecting the deep tone or perfect language, and much less the question. She slowly nodded; it had been awhile since. "I figured as much... You seem to be a bit young to be here…" She stared blankly, this time her hands made their way to the hem of her dress, rubbing the cloth between the pads of her fingertips out of nervousness. She wasn't quite eighteen yet, but close enough that Kaguya did not fret about it. Besides, the business she brought in made the risk worth it.

Rin didn't like all the questions, and began to feel uneasy of the man. Usually when clients tried to talk to any of them, it meant they were trying to get to know them… to lead them somewhere... stalk them… or—"I apologize. I do not mean to make you nervous." The man bit his bottom lip for a second, and the woman couldn't help but find the action a bit… eye-catching. "My name is Kuromaru." He motioned towards the empty spot on the couch. "If it's more comfortable, you can sit… or dance. I only wish to speak to you." The woman shot him a suspicious look and he caught it, "It is purely business-related." He sat back into his seat and sipped at bit of his drink.

"I own a club a couple of miles from here, perhaps you have heard of it… Shikon." Rin's eyes widened, 'No way.' No one ever had seen the owner of Shikon, one of the most famous clubs of the country, known best for its four main beautiful, acrobatic and extremely gifted dancers. "One of my lovely dancers experienced an accident and can no longer dance at my club. While all the other women I have are talented, they are missing something very important to fulfill the spot she left behind… I believe you have that something." She continued to stare at the man, bewildered.

'How do I know he isn't lying about his identity?' And what in the world could she have that others did not? Rin believed she was good at what she did, but she didn't have the kind of experience and practice most of the other women have in their years of dancing—"Would you be interested in trying out for the position? I pay very well." She almost immediately agreed, but froze. Her father might not like her decision. Shikon was even farther away from their house, and she would no longer be able to keep an eye and eavesdrop on the local rival gangs in the area—something that would surely annoy him.

"You don't have to make a decision now, though I would like a dancer before next weekend…" The man stood from the couch, leaving his glass on the end table beside it. He reached into blazer and pulled out a crisp, matte black business card, handing it to her. She accepted it, unconsciously rubbing the smooth texture between her fingertips as she read the light purple font. 'SHIKON… Owner Kuromaru, the address, business, fax, email and cell number… I guess he is the real deal.' "Let me know when you would like to swing by. A text message or email is fine." His hand moved to the other side of his blazer, pulling out a white envelope.

"And for your time… Keep in mind, should you accept my offer, this is only a fraction of the money would make  _in one night_." He straightened up his clothing a bit for giving her a small smile, "I must head back. I hope to hear from you soon." Rin nodded before she mechanically opened the door for the man; she noticed the spicy smell of his cologne: cardamom, black pepper, mandarin, saffron, nutmeg, cumin. Once the man turned the corner out of the hall, she brought her attention to the envelope in her hand. The woman was vaguely aware that his scent lingered on the paper as she opened it, revealing a small stack of 15 hundred-dollar bills.

'Oh my god…' Rin nearly felt as if she could not accept the cash. She didn't provide any service, they only spoke for about 10 minutes or so, she certainly didn't deserve this much! "That was quick. So, what did he want—holy crap!" The women jumped in shock, not realizing Minako had made her way behind her and saw the green in the envelope. "Next time he comes in, you bring me in there with you!" She shook her head, smiling at the feline before walking over to where she kept her things backstage.

-:-

It was around 10PM and Rin was just about ready to leave. The crowd was only getting cruder as the night dragged on, bringing in more of the lower-class members of neighboring gangs. Due to Kuromaru's gracious contribution, she could easily leave early without sacrificing any gain or hearing it from Kaguya and her father. She quickly changed into a plain tee, black hoodie, and dark-wash skinny jeans then gathered her stuff and tipped out, ignoring Kaguya's surprised look when she gave her end. "Want me to walk you to your car?" Hiro asked as she walked past him.

Rin considered his offer and nodded, not wanting to take any chances tonight. The large male escorted her to the back of the lot, where her Sunfire was parked. "See you on Monday." Hiro said in parting, walking back to the club as she waved goodbye. She got in her car and locked the doors, before throwing her bag on the passenger seat. 'Should I go home now..?' She entertained the thought of swinging by Shikon since her father wouldn't be expecting her for at least another 2 hours.

'I don't want to seem desperate.' She thought dejectedly, resting her forehead on the steering wheel. 'I'll try to sneak out tomorrow and get there… ' She figured for now she would swing by her favorite ice cream parlor, only about 10 minutes away. Rin turned the key in the ignition, backed out of her space and hit the road. Her mind began to wander back to Kuromaru.

She noticed the business card had no surname, and he didn't mention his. The man appeared to be human, but she knew appearance meant very little to determine his species. The way he was able to keep himself hidden from public eye while owning such a high-profile establishment, the man could have been a shape-shifter for all she knew. 'Still…' She had not expected his friendly gaze. There was no judgment in his eyes, no disgust or hatred. He showed a genuine interest in her abilities, and seemed to not be interested in anything else.

'I wonder if father would approve, it would be more money coming in…' Rin turned at a red light, and kept driving down the street. She hoped the subject wouldn't cause too much trouble, and the thought of not even asking him and just going with it crossed her mind, but she knew that would not be a good idea. 'If he ever finds out…' The woman shuddered, shaking those thoughts out of her head. She would deal with it when she got to the house.

Rin stared at the taillights in her vision, waiting for the congestion of cars to clear itself. 'Ah, come on…! So close!' She smiled when the vehicle in front of her moved just enough for her to turn into the parking lot of the parlor. She stepped out of her car after parking, and walked up to the bright white little store, the words "The Whole Scoop" was lit up over the front entrance. "Rin, you're early! Hi!" A blushing young boy behind the counter greeted her, always happy to see her.

'Hi, Kohaku!' She wished she could reply, but instead gave him a big smile with a wave as she made her way to the ice cream.

"What will you have today? Same as always, vanilla ice cream with double chocolate chip cookie dough, caramel, fudge and whipped cream in a chocolate-dipped waffle cup?" She nodded eagerly, and the young boy chuckled before proceeding with her order. She came here at least twice a week, so the employees of the parlor learned her name quickly. They were all friendly to her though two stood out the most, quickly becoming good friends with her: Asagi and Kohaku.

He was about her age, she guessed, maybe 2-3 years older, and had the whole boy-ish charm going for him. She liked the cute freckles that decorated his cheeks, his unruly bangs, and the way his face brightened whenever she walked in. Rin looked into her purse for cash, pulling out the exact amount she already had memorized and setting it next to the register. The young man finished preparing her dessert in a few minutes, handing it to her with a wide grin. "Here you go!"

Rin jumped in enthusiasm, accepting the dessert and bowing her thanks before grabbing one of the many plastic spoons and a couple of napkins. She walked over to the usual corner booth she would occupy at the front of the store and made herself comfortable. The parlor was near the center of a very busy nightlife kind of street and many different kinds of people would come and go. She liked to watch those people from the large glass window, since she couldn't properly interact with them…

The front door chime interrupted her dimming thoughts and she looked over, spoon still in her mouth. 'It's that man and woman…' A tall, broad-shouldered man with cropped black hair and moon-kissed skin walked in with a small, but curvy, woman with large eyes whose color reminded her of rubies. The pair was greeted by Kohaku as they made their way to the selection of ice creams. She knew the man was a regular long before her according to one of the female employees, Asagi, and the woman just recently started coming in with him about a month ago.

Rin rarely heard the man speak; the woman seemed to do all of the talking. 'I can count on one hand the times I have heard his voice in the past 4 months.' He carried himself in a way that seemed distant and aloof, she had never seen him laugh or smile, and he always seemed to be in perfect condition. Not a strand of hair out of place, not a wrinkle in his expensive charcoal suit, not a spot on his leather shoes, and not a single crack in his cold demeanor.

Normally, she wouldn't care to find out more about such a man who seemed to fit the whole powerful and arrogant businessman stereotype, but the whole love-for-ice-cream thing didn't really fit with what she perceived his personality was… "The usual vanilla with double chocolate chip cookie dough, caramel, fudge, whipped cream in a chocolate-dipped waffle cup for you, sir?" And that they both had the  _exact same_  favorite ice cream combination. Rin hadn't realized how much she was staring until the man met her eyes while the woman next to him was contemplating her decision.

'And those eyes…' If it wasn't for the threatening frost in his gaze, she would have been able to get lost in the Alice blue shade. 'Pfft, I could get frostbite, I don't care.' But she averted her eyes from his after a few seconds of staring when he didn't look away, feeling incredibly awkward.

"I'll have the cake batter ice cream with pieces of red velvet cake and whipped cream." The woman gave her order.

'That doesn't sound all that bad. It's been awhile since I had red velvet…' Rin picked at her ice cream a bit, her mood falling. 'I miss Mom's special red velvet cake…' "Hey Rin!" A blue-haired hanyou sat across from her, her olive eyes bright with excitement. "He said yes! I got a date for prom!" Rin cracked a large grin, holding the girl's hands and jumping in her seat with joy. 'I'm so happy for you, Asagi!' "I can't believe he said yes. You HAVE to help me pick out what to wear!" She nodded, but doubted she would actually be able to help her friend despite how much she wished to.

"Ugh, I hope the night goes well. It's a week and a half away but I'm already so nervous! Did you ever—oh wait!" Asagi ran up to the counter, quickly grabbing a pad of paper and pen before running back to her booth and setting down the items in front of her. "Did you ever go to prom?" Rin shook her head. "Why not?"

She grabbed the pen and paper, jotting down the words "No time, no date, no money. ):" It wasn't a complete lie.

"Aw, nooo." The hanyou said with a pout, "Well, at least you got rid of school early. I wish I was as smart as you, Rin." A large group of people walked in at that moment, and Asagi sighed dramatically. "I guess I have to work now. Talk to you later!" The bluenette skipped over to join Kohaku behind the counter.

Rin went back to her ice cream, content to listen to the orders of the random people as she munched on her dessert. Her eyes scanned the parlor until they landed on the man and woman from earlier, who were sitting across in the booths on the adjacent wall. She quietly pondered if the man always looked like he was bored out of his mind, and if the woman always blatantly ignored his obvious disinterest in whatever they were talking about. She shrugged it all off, her gaze shifted to outside the window where she people-watched until her ice cream and waffle cup were gone. She glanced at the clock on her phone, 'I killed an hour, not too bad.'

The woman gathered her things, and dumped away her trash, before exiting the parlor as she waved her goodbyes to Asagi and Kohaku. Rin got into her car and began to head to her house. She arrived about 30 minutes later, frowning when she saw her father's truck in the driveway.

"You're early." Rin heard her father's gruff voice the moment she walked in. He was sitting at the dinette, a bottle of whiskey and coke alongside a half-empty glass on the small table. She bowed her head, and rummaged through her purse. She gave her father what he usually expected—around $400. If she could just keep the rest without him knowing, it would help her so much… "Huh, generous clients today?" He stuffed the bills into his rough jeans, before downing the entirety of what was in his glass.

Rin nodded slowly, not liking that he was drinking. It never ended well. "Oh, yeah? Are you just finally selling your pussy like the whore you are?" She shook her head vigorously, backing away when her father stood from the stool and tried to approach her. "Don't give me that. Being paid in $100s?" He growled, backhanding her clear across her face. She stumbled at the impact, her hand coming up to press against her hot cheek. "Don't fucking lie to me. 100s… Think you're some high-class whore now?!" She kept shaking her head no, but she knew it was all in vain. "Think your old man too good for you now?!" He slapped her twice more, the second with enough force to push her down to the floor.

"I'm sick of looking at you." When she made a move to rise, he kicked her in the ribs and she bit back her cry of pain. She stayed still, her eyes clenched shut and facing the floor. She dared not to make another move or noise, wishing that he would simply walk away this time. It seems this time her wishes would be granted."I'm going out. Don't you dare fucking leave this house when I'm gone." Once she heard the click of the front door, she allowed the tears in the corner of her eyes to fall.

Rin shook her head, trying to shake off her discomfort as she stood, wincing from the pain in her abdomen. She went to the bathroom first; her eyes immediately fell on the mirror above the vanity. Her movements were automated, and she had been through all this before, several times. Her fingertips brushed against the redness swelling in her cheeks. The same hand opened the medicine cabinet nearby, and she popped two pills of Ibuprofen before shutting the cabinet. She had the thoughts of what did she do wrong…

She was doing what he wanted. She  _always_  did what he wanted.

Why was her father so angry with her all the time? No matter what, it was never enough.

'Mom, why did you leave?' Her hands were on the sides of the sink, leaning forward with her head hung low. 'Why did they take you away from us?' She clenched her fists; her sadness turned into anger, and turned into sadness again. It was a cycle she couldn't find a way to break. 'Not with him…' She couldn't keep going with her father. She didn't want to let him go, memories of the man he used to be made her hold fast to a belief he  _could_ be that man again.

'But it's been 4 years now… and he is only getting worse.' Her first clue to runaway should have been the first time she saw a couple of gang members in the house, but she thought—foolishly hoped—that it was nothing. Nothing to worry about. Then the weapons… the heavier drinking, the fights, the abuse… the loss of her voice and his refusal to get her any help... forcing her into work, work someone her age shouldn't have been doing… not letting her go to college, not allowing her to better herself in any way…  _not letting her leave_. She was wrong, she had never been more wrong and paid for it every day since then.

Despite everything, Rin couldn't just leave. 'Mom wouldn't want that, she would want me to help him…' But he put himself so far beyond her reach… 'I can't... There's nothing I can do.' She could only help herself, and have faith that when she was finally gone, maybe then he would realize what he has done. The woman sighed, standing up straight. Her mind going in circles once more, unable to decide to leave or to stay. 'You've been like this for 4 years, Rin, come on…' But that logic didn't fight off the opposing thoughts as well as it should have.

The woman realized she didn't have the chance to bring up her opportunity at Shikon, 'Maybe then he would understand why I was paid like that…' He wouldn't apologize even if he did make that realization, and she knew this. He would probably up her 'daily rent' to a crazy amount, to leave her just enough for clothing and food again, but not enough to save for anything else, to keep her there.

Rin decided to take a shower, she would wash away the bleak thoughts and false shame her father caused and tomorrow, she would head to Shikon without a word to him.

'You won't take this, you won't take anything else away from me. I won't let you.' She only wished her resolve tonight would stay just as strong tomorrow morning.

**End of Chapter 1**

 


	2. Cookie Dough

'Thoughts/Rin's writing'

_Flashbacks_

Original Publish Date: 3/25/2014

* * *

It was two in the afternoon and her father still hadn't returned from wherever he ran off to the night before. Rin couldn't help the small twinge of worry she felt but she pushed it aside, continuing to get dressed. She slipped on a pair of black active, fitted shorts, a racerback sports bra, and a simple pink tank top, before pulling down a lightweight hoodie over her torso.

She skipped over to the bathroom to examine her face. The ice and medicine helped greatly with the swelling, the makeup covered any discolorations pretty well. As long as no one got too close to her face, no one be wiser.

Rin grabbed her phone, flipping it open to send a quick text to Kagome. With how busy it all was last night, and her eagerness to leave, it had completely slipped her mind to tell her friend about her job offer! 'I'm heading to Shikon in a bit. They want me to try out. Wish me luck! :D' She typed before shutting the phone and slipping it into her hoodie's pocket. She grabbed her keys and purse, taking one last look at her room to ensure she didn't forget anything before she quickly made her way out of her house and into her car.

It took nearly an hour and a half to reach the entrance of Shikon with all the traffic and city construction along the way. She stepped out of her vehicle, her eyes plastered on the two-story building in front of her. The architecture was reminiscent of Japanese feudal era mansions, the word 'SHIKON' in a modern, bold font stood on top of the main door.

Rin never had the chance to enter the club before, the business accumulated a line quickly regardless of what day of the week it was, and she heard any events had to be reserved nearly a month in advance.

She approached the front double doors, where a rather large, intimating bouncer protected the doors. "What do you want? We aren't opened for another hour." She blinked up at him, before rummaging into her bag for her paper pad and a pen. She quickly jotted down the words, 'Kuromaru asked me to drop by to try out.' Before showing the paper to the bouncer.

"Huh, you must be that mute girl. Alright, go ahead." The man opened up the door for her. She did a quick bow as thanks before hurrying inside. Her eyes widened in awe, taking in the immense, lit stage with twin poles that reached up to the second floor, the large bar that stretched throughout the entire wall on her left, the pristine, onyx leather seats surrounding various tables scattered throughout the club.

"Yo. Are you Rin?" She jumped at the sound of a familiar voice, turning her attention to a female youkai approaching her. Her ruby-colored eyes flickered with recognition as she rested a hand on her hip. "… Have we met before?"

Rin jotted down the words, 'No, but I've seen you at The Whole Scoop! C:'

The youkai raised an eyebrow, "That's right… My name is Kagura, one of the four, well at the moment three, main 'attractions' here. Kuromaru will be with you in a second, he's busy with that perverse dragon—"

"Kagura, you speak so ill of me…" Rin swallowed hard at the sound of a voice she would never forget, one of the most dangerous mafia lords in the country, Ryukotsusei. The daiyoukai still looked the same as he did when she first got a glimpse of him eleven years ago…

_"Rin, stay back." The young girl clutched her mother's pant leg, hiding behind her as a tall, well-dressed man advanced. His hair reached his waist, an exotic light, gray-purple hue, his eyes were transparent emerald with specks of blue, and his skin rivaled the color of porcelain. She would have found the man pretty, if it wasn't for the ugly smirk that tainted his face and the dangerous sparks from his aura._

_"Emiko, it's been awhile." Rin felt her mother shaking through the clothing, and she wondered who the man was._

_"Not long enough." She hissed, her hand pushing Rin's face further behind her._

_"Oh, you have a daughter? How old is she?"_

_"That is none of your business, Ryukotsusei."_

_The daiyoukai growled, grabbing her mother's chin with his clawed hand. His eyes flashed red, "It is, Emiko, it is. All of your affairs are a great 'concern' to me until your family has returned what is rightfully mine."_

_Rin moved from behind her mother, bashing her tiny fists against the dragon's leg. "Let her go! Leave mommy alone!" The daiyoukai released her mother and those fierce eyes then landed on her, paralyzing her in place—_

"Rin? My, my. How you have grown." The daiyoukai's voice cut through her memories, bringing her back to reality. His lecherous eyes blatantly took in her body, taking their time on her exposed legs. She didn't acknowledge his words or his stare. How he knew her mother she never found out, but she still trusted her judgment.

"You know her?" Kuromaru appeared next to the daiyoukai, a curious look on his face.

"Not personally, which is very unfortunate. Your mother never wanted to talk…" The dragon smirked, "Though if she is working here now, you will be seeing a lot more of me."

"Wonderful." Kagura remarked with a dry tone. "Weren't you leaving?"

"Kagura…" Kuromaru started, a hint of warning in his tone.

"No, she's right. I must get going. It was a pleasure to see you all again." Rin held her ground when the daiyoukai brushed past her. She was tense until she heard the click of the door shutting behind him.

"I'm guessing you don't like him?" Kagura asked, pointing out the pad of paper she crushed in her hand. 'When did I do that?' "Not many do. Unfortunately for us, he's a regular." Rin frowned, second-guessing her decision. If having to deal with the dragon frequently was part of the job—

"He knows where the line is drawn." Kuromaru said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "If he causes too much trouble, you let me know personally." Rin blinked up at him, she felt the warmth of his hand through her thin clothing. She didn't understand his kindness, unless he was simply just trying to reel her in…? "Now, why don't you show us what you can do?"

-:-

"Wow." Kagura said after the song ended. She and Kuromaru were sitting on one of the many leather chairs surrounding the main stage. "Not many girls come in here confident enough to swing from one pole to the other, especially human girls." Rin walked up to the end of the stage, smiling at Kagura's praise.

"Do you approve?" Kuromaru asked Kagura, his brown eyes never left Rin's. It made her nervous, wanting something to cover herself. It wasn't the hint of lust that bothered her, she was desensitized to such things, it was the way his eyes pierced through her as if nothing could be hidden from his gaze. How was he able to look at someone so intensely so openly?

"I wouldn't mind. She won't be holding any of us back it seems."

"Well, then, Rin…" He stood from the seat, offering his hand. She accepted it, jumping down from the stage. "Welcome to Shikon." She smiled brightly, wrapping her arms around Kuromaru's neck without a thought. 'Yes, yes, yes!' It was a start to something better. She pulled away; missing the man's shocked expression.

"You won't be able to meet most of the other girls right now… but Sango should be in the back. Come on, I'll introduce you." Rin nodded, grabbing the tank top and hoodie she removed before following Kagura to the backroom. "Yo, Sango."

Rin's eyes immediately dropped to the woman's powerful thighs and sculpted abs before moving her gaze upward, taking notice of her large chest and toned arms. She was built like a warrior! "Hey Kagura." The woman crossed her arms, "Who's this?"

"This is Rin. She's Kikyo's replacement."

Sango smiled, offering her hand. "It's nice to meet you." Rin smiled back and shook the older woman's hand. "It's nice to finally have another human around here. I would love to chat, but I only got another 15 minutes to finish getting ready."

"Alright, alright, we'll leave you alone." Kagura gave her a short tour of the first floor of the club, mentioning the second floor was more for VIPs, or whoever was willing to pay the crazy cost to get a spot up there. She gave her a warning about the private rooms. "You can do whatever you want past those doors, just don't leave anything behind. Leaving those rooms a mess is grounds for dismissal." She nodded her understanding; she wasn't planning to ever use those rooms anyway.

The club's doors had already opened, and people already began to make their way inside despite no dancers being out yet. "We open the doors a little early so everyone can get comfortable, this place can get very hectic on the weekends." Kagura's phone chimed and she gave the device a quick look.

"Hey, you got any plans right now?" Rin shook her head. "Want to head to The Whole Scoop? I'll be meeting a friend there." She didn't even think about it, accepting her offer and hoping the friend was the mystery cookie dough man.

-:-

The two women left their respective cars after parking in the ice cream parlor's small parking lot. Rin stood beside Kagura who was leaning against the trunk of her sporty red convertible. "He should be here any second—there he is." A silver Aston Martin pulled into the lot, parking in the back where no other cars would be near it. 'That's a really nice car.' Rin thought, watching the mysterious cookie dough man exiting his vehicle with a ridiculous amount of grace. He wore an expensive suit like always, though this time it was a navy color.

"Who's this?" The question almost sounded if as he was disgusted by her presence and Rin resisted the urge to glare at the man. 'How rude!'

"Rin, the newbie at Shikon." Kagura responded, "Let's go inside, I'm dying to try their new flavor." The three walked into the parlor, a new face greeting them behind the counter.

"Hi there! Welcome to The Whole Scoop!" Rin didn't recognize this employee, 'He must be new.' "What can I get for you?" He asked, starting with her. She blinked at him and back down at the ice cream. She had thrown out her crushed paper pad and now couldn't write her order down. She pointed at the vanilla ice cream, though with how the creams were laid out… "Are you pointing at the cake batter or vanilla?"

"She's pointing at the vanilla." Asagi appeared from the back room, standing next to the new employee. "Shippo, this is Rin. Rin, Shippo. Take care of the other two, I got her." The boy nodded and directed his attention to the man and Kagura.

"I know you want vanilla BUT…" The bluenette leaned over the counter, a hand covering one side of her face. "We got some good stuff in today." She made her way over the end of the ice cream rows where new flavors were placed. Rin wondered why her friend was behaving suspiciously, 'Asagi is so silly.' "Vanilla ice cream with cookie dough swirls.  _Pure cookie dough swirls_ , Rin. No one can beat this stuff." Rin perked up at the sound of cookie dough. Can she possibly be able to put MORE cookie dough in her ice cream than ever before? Asagi looked at the man, realizing she caught his attention as well. "I know you're interested too~" The bluenette giggled, "You both want to try it with your regular combinations?"

The two nodded simultaneously and without hesitation then gave each strange looks. Well, she gave him a strange look; he looked at her as if she was unworthy of having such cookie dough awesomeness.

The three sat in a random booth, Rin and Kagura sat on one side with the man across from them. "Both eating the same thing..." The demoness began, "You two know there are other things you can have with your ice cream, right?" Rin smiled at Kagura while the man gave her an annoyed look. The woman sighed, resting her head on hand. "A mute and a man who might as well be mute. Looks like I'll be doing all the talking  _again_."

"You are mute?" Rin nodded at the man's question. "Can you sign?" She tensed up at his question. She wanted to learn sign language since she lost her voice, but her father wouldn't allow her to enroll in any classes at her high school. It was something she was ashamed of, to her, it made her appear lazy… especially to those who thought she was mute since birth. Rin solemnly shook her head, and the man gave the exact look she expected and it only made her feel worse.

"I prefer the pen and paper any way." Kagura said, as if sensing her dark thoughts. Rin stood, heading to the counter and grabbing the pad of paper that was usually waiting just for her. She returned to her spot next to Kagura and pulled the pen out of her purse, jotting down the words. 'I almost forgot! Thanks!'

The three sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying their desserts. "How do you and Ryukotsusei know each other?" Rin glanced at Kagura, putting down her spoon before she wrote down, 'We don't. My mother knew him somehow.' "Hmm, that's strange." She gave the demoness a puzzled look, but it was the man who responded.

"Ryukotsusei does not make a habit of associating himself with humans, especially those that have nothing to offer." There was something about the way he said it that made her feel there was an insult somewhere in there… in that 'nothing to offer' part...

"The only thing he seemed interested in was sex." Kagura said before taking a bite of ice cream. "I don't think he thinks of anything else." Rin scrunched up her nose, the dragon was still as good-looking as he was years ago… but the thought of doing anything with him almost made her gag and throw out her ice cream…

Almost. No way was she throwing her dessert out!

The demoness' phone went off; she exchanged a few hushed words with whoever called her before putting the device away. "Well, I'd hate to leave so soon but I have to go take care of someone—something." Rin stood to allow Kagura slide out of the booth. "See ya two later."

And now it was just them. Rin shifted to the center of her seat, directly across from the older man in front of her. The two were only about half-way done with their ice creams. 'What do we even talk about?' She thought, unable to think of a way to break the silence, not that she could… technically. 'Oh, that's right!'

She grabbed the paper and quickly scribbled, 'I never got your name.'

The man looked her over once, before returning to his dessert. "Takahashi will suffice." It didn't shock her that he didn't give his first name.

'What do you for work?' She jotted down.

"I own a multinational private equity firm." 'Fancy.' She thought, unsurprised by his answer. How else would afford his expensive suits and nice car?

'Do you like it?' She wrote. She was honestly curious. The man seemed so uptight… Takahashi stared at the note for a moment.

"It is… sufficient." She nearly rolled her eyes at the evasive answer. "Do you enjoy stripping for lowly, perverted strangers?"

She flinched at his aggressive and disgusted tone, not knowing what she did to cause it. Did her profession offend him so much? It didn't seem like he treated Kagura with such malice… 'No.' She wrote, as if his tone didn't affect her. 'Long hours, grabby clients. I'm hoping Shikon would be better, but with Ryukotsusei…'

"Then why do you continue to do it?" That always seemed to the question everyone would ask her or the other dancers. Your job is degrading, you're unhappy, just change it! As if it was so easy to get out of it. The money she would make at a 'normal' job would never pay enough of her father's climbing rent and it was impossible to put money aside for school…

She began to write, 'It's not that easy.' She was going to put more but stopped herself. Would he really understand?

She prayed to whichever holy deity caused the man's phone to ring. She saw his jaw tightened as a squeaky voice on the other end rambled on about accounts or something. 'A work-related call…?' His eyes hardened as the voice continued—she swore she heard a crack of plastic from the phone—and she began to think he was going to pop a vein in his head...

"I will be there in 10 minutes." Takahashi slipped the phone back in his blazer. He said nothing in parting but Rin smiled up at him anyway, waving her goodbye as he left the parlor. Her eyes landed on the cup he left on the table, and she peeked inside. 'Oh my god, there's still ice cream in there!'

-:-

Takahashi stepped into his silver Aston Martin DBS Volante. He turned the key in the ignition, the car's V12 engine roaring to life, and quickly made his way out to the highway. He had just dealt with one of his many businesses that were so bold to believe that they longer needed his assistance or protection. He quickly reminded the owners just how little they actually owned of their company, and with a bit of rough persuasion, just how much they needed his security.

His mind wandered off to the petite girl that Kagura brought in, or more of what Ryukotsusei would want with her. The demoness had already informed him of the dragon's interest before he had arrived to the parlor; he had just wanted to get a look at her. She was a human who barely reached his shoulders in height, appeared to be very young with wild raven hair and expressive brown eyes, and was mute of all things.

'What could Ryukotsusei possibly want with her?' Kagura mentioned she was to begin working at Shikon, which made things a bit difficult. Surely the spider hanyou was already plotting ways to use the girl for his personal gain beyond the strip club. Though the wind demoness said he knew nothing more about her connection with the dragon… yet.

He would have to find out first, perhaps the information he finds would be useful against the daiyoukai… It was simply too bazaar to ignore. Ryukotsusei's hatred for humans far surpassed his own; the dragon went as far as promoting genocide of humans around what was left of the youkai race. Only a select few shared Ryukotsusei's extreme vision.

In fact, Naraku was the only being with human blood that had prolonged contact with the dragon and lived to tell about it in the past century—that was surely only because the dragon has eyeing the crime lord's territory for some time now and Ryukotsusei enjoyed… playing with his food, so to speak.

Abruptly, the memory of the young woman smiling flashed in his mind. He briefly wondered how such a quiet, naïve woman turned to stripping, and if the bruise she tried to cover on her face had anything to do with it. His now-golden eyes narrowed, 'That is none of my concern.'

Whatever human trouble the woman had was of no interest to him, only her relation to Ryukotsusei.

-:-

Rin was surprised to find an empty house when she got home, but more so was relieved. Hopefully her father didn't notice her absence. She placed the bit of groceries she purchased to make dinner for her father. He didn't ask for it, but she rather avoid any… complications. She began chopping up the vegetables and her mind roamed off to recap her day.

Shikon was a massive club. The glimpse of the crowd that came in before confirmed the type of money she would be making, 'Even without Kuromaru's second contribution…' She glanced at her purse at the end of the counter, a few hundreds tucked inside as a 'signing bonus' he called it. She tried to give it back—she only did two dances and that certainly didn't count—but he insisted. 'He's a strange man.' She concluded, 'Just throwing money around like that…' She hoped it wasn't because he wanted something else, but she knew how the world worked.

Rin sautéed the onions, mushrooms, bell pepper, carrots and broccoli in coconut oil on a large wok. She checked her phone, and responded to Kagome's good luck text from earlier, letting her know she would be joining the club. Now only to tell Kaguya she will no longer be working at Blue Moon...

She didn't hear the front door open through the sound of sizzling food and her buzzing thoughts. She nearly jumped when her father walked into the kitchen, placing a hand over her chest. The woman got over her shock, waving at the older man before she continued cooking. Her father said nothing and leaned against the doorway that divided the kitchen and dining room.

"Where'd you go?" Rin paused mid-stir, her heart beginning to pound in her chest. 'Should I just tell the truth? … Of course, what else can I say?'

She jotted down the words, 'I was at another club, trying out.' Her pen stopped after the period, and she wondered if this was the best way to—he snatched the paper away before she could do anything else.

"That's interesting… because I could have sworn I ordered you to  _stay here_." He said harshly, slamming down the paper where she had it. Rin rapidly removed the veggies from the wok, and threw in the strips of marinated chicken.

'I know but it was my only chance to try out… I thought more money would be good?' Rin hoped he would take the distraction of more cash…

"You trying to leave?" She bit back the whimper when he grabbed her arm. His auburn eyes were wild, paranoid. Rin shook her head, thinking 'It's going to happen again…' He wasn't going to believe her for the umpteenth time, regardless that she had been by his side for years. "Really? Because… you didn't mention any of this last night… and that makes me think that… you…" His grip tightened, "… are planning somethin'."

Rin shook her head, pleading eyes staring up at her father. 'Let me go.' She thought, but she didn't struggle, not wanting to get a rise out of him. Even though he would do it on his own with whatever thoughts haunted him… She glanced at the burning wok, 'It would be one quick hit…' And that thought disturbed her. She never considered hurting him back, but she was nearing a breaking point…

The sharp sting of his backhand told her that he probably caught her glance and knew what she thought. In a sick way, she actually thought she deserved that one. "You ain't getting away. Nah..." The grip on her arm disappeared, to return around her neck. Her eyes widened, and her hands gripped the thick wrists, trying to pull the strong hands away from her throat. Her back was slammed against the refrigerator, then the concrete wall beside it, her head taking the brunt of the blows. "You're never getting away from me…"

Black spots assaulted her vision as she struggled to breathe; she tried kicking him, she tried digging her nails into his arm and wrist, she tried to reach his face to do something—anything to get him to stop, but he kept strangling her with unbridled force. Her sense of hearing began back to fade. "You ain't leaving… Never… I wo… et… yo… o… …R…"

Her eyes rolled to the back of head, and then… there was nothing, just the cold comfort of darkness.

**End of Chapter 2**


	3. Bruises

POISON | Love Her

**Chapter 3**

Bruises

'Thoughts/Rin's writing'

_Flashbacks_

Original Publish Date: 3/28/2014

* * *

Rin rolled out of bed, groaning in pain when her feet didn't quite make it to the floor first and she ended up falling completely. Her face was flat on the floor, her sigh of defeat muffled by the beige carpet. She was sore _everywhere_. She had bruises _everywhere_. No amount of sleep seemed to be enough for her exhausted body.

She knew the job at Shikon would probably result in more work, but not like this! 'No wonder most of the dancers are demons!' She raised herself off the floor just enough to throw her arms over the top of her bed and rest her head on the edge. Her lids were heavy, the covers were soft and inviting—but she couldn't go back to sleep!

Rin had to spend about an hour with a bottle of foundation and concealer, and then she had to take the bus to Shikon which took about another 1-2 hours depending. If her father hadn't taken away her car, she would have been able to sleep more...

It had been a month since he nearly strangled her to death, and it wasn't the last time. Something in her father changed that day, and now the man that lived in the other room was a complete stranger. She no longer saw a single trace of the gentle, caring man he once was in his gaze, only the cold, dead eyes of an angry, broken man… And every time she began to feel pity for him, another bruise was made to remind her of her foolishness.

She got up on her feet, stretching her worn body. Rin placed her hands on the furniture chest in front of her, looking into the wide mirror. 'Mom, what do I do?' She wiped the tears that began to roll down her cheeks, 'I wish you were here, things would be better…' She shook her head, shaking the thoughts away.

Rin entered the bathroom, determined to take a long, hot shower to relax her muscles. The warm water felt wonderful against her skin, one of the few comforts her body knew. She shampooed her hair, working the unscented product into her scalp. Aside from being a bit overworked, her time at Shikon was better than her experience at Blue Moon, and far surpassed anything before that.

Kuromaru was _very_ protective over his dancers, nothing like her previous bosses. 'I suppose with many of the clients being hanyou and demons, it only makes sense…' Anyone inhuman can do serious damage to their exposed bodies, and a scratched girl is a dancer that won't be bringing money to the club…

… Unless Ryukotsusei is around. The dragon had a tasteless fetish for 'damaged girls'. She had learned that quickly, in fact on her first official day. He paid for her to come up on the second floor and dance for him and some of his accomplices…

 _"A human? Are you feeling well, Lord Ryukotsusei?" A younger dragon who sat next to the daiyoukai commented when she stepped up on the mini-stage, dressed in a Lolita outfit_ by request _._

_The older dragon chuckled, "I admit, it is out of my norm…"_

_"It is completely out of it, not that I mind…" A hyena youkai commented as he was licking her lips at her. It made her shiver in disgust._

_"… But she has such a sweet face, and appears so young with those sad little eyes… The bruises coloring her skin only add to her appeal." Rin froze at the last comment, glancing down at her exposed thighs and mid-section. Her makeup was still covering her bruises well and the lighting was dim in their section, 'How can he tell?' "You know, Rin…" The dragon leaned forward, resting his forearms on top of his knees with his hands entwined in front. His eyes were on her and she didn't look away, she won't let him scare her._

_"I never considered you would like being beaten around. It's very tantalizing…" That smirk came up again, "Perhaps you would enjoy being my whore for the night."_

Rin blinked at her fist that had made its way to the bathroom wall and succeeding in cracking one of the small tiles. 'Oops…' She retracted her fist, putting in under the stream of water. 'If only I can knock _him_ out.' She never wanted to hurt someone so much in her life. She didn't keep the dragon's money, no matter how much he or friends threw at her. The dirty money went either to pay her stipend to the club or to her father. Rin turned off the water after she finished cleaning herself, stepping out of the shower and toweling off.

Every time she had contact with the dragon or his men, Kuromaru required her to give him a report about it. It made her highly suspicious; it was too similar to what she did for her father back at Blue Moon.

'But Shikon is on the northside of 12th street.' Which meant it was nowhere near Ryukotsusei's territory, but in Naraku's region if she remembered correctly. She wondered if the man paid protection money to Naraku, or if they had any affiliation. There had to be _something_ there if the man was so interested in the dragon's dealings in his club.

Rin began the concealing ritual for any discolorations on her body, starting with her thighs. Once finished, she moved on to her midsection, and used a spray foundation for her back. She blended out the concealed areas with foundation until she was satisfied, before spraying a light mist of setting spray on the makeup.

She sighed in annoyance, looking down on her body. It was getting to be too much to conceal and if she wasn't careful to set the makeup ever so often, it would rub off on her costumes and the poles. She put away the makeup bottles, then exited the bathroom to go into her room. She used the cold-shot of her blow-dryer to quickly dry the setting spray on her body before she moved on to her hair. Rin glanced up at the clock, she was making good time.

'If tonight isn't too hectic, I should stop by The Whole Scoop. It's been way too long.' The ice cream should help make everything a little better.

-:-

"Rin, I would like to speak with you." She had just finished a dance for a small group of young, loud, and surprisingly respectful half-demons when Kuromaru approached her. Rin nodded at him, a bit reluctant due to his serious expression. 'Did I do something wrong?' She thought nervously as she followed the man into his office, tucked away in the back of club. He opened the door for her and she stepped inside as her arms hugged her upper body. 'It's so cold in here.' Her heart jumped when she heard him lock the door.

"Calm down, you are not in any trouble." The tall man stated, coming around to face her. "At least not with me. I thought your bruises were simply because of the dancing and you were not accustomed to use the pole so much…" He leaned against his cherry wood desk, "But it's been a month, and I see that you come in every day exhausted and darker than before. Are one of my customers giving you a … hard time, Rin? Be honest."

She shook her head. She was terrified of where the conversation was going. She didn't want to lose this job!

"Then what is it?" He crossed his arms over his chest, giving her that intense glare. She bit her bottom lip, unsure of what to do, of where to start, what to say—the truth she couldn't reveal. It was shameful. Abruptly, the man straightened up, and went around, pulling a small tube from a drawer in his desk. He offered it to her, and accepted. It looked like a cross between oregano and parsley. 'Is he giving drugs? Why in the world would he—'

"What you hold in your hand… is lethal." She looked up at him in shock as he continued to speak. "I don't know what happens outside these walls when you leave, but it concerns me when it affects your performance. Our customers, they love you. I don't want to let you go." He crossed his arms again, "Frankly, I won't. So whoever thinks they have the right to continue to harm you as my dancer... Sprinkle it on their food, it's the easiest way. It's not detectable. It won't trace back to you or me, and they will die quietly, peacefully if you care."

Rin froze in place at the word 'die'. Her eyes dropped down to the vial, she realized her hand was shaking. She couldn't do this. No way could she—

"Or you can try reconciling with whoever beats you like I'm sure you have been trying for months, maybe years. Working here, I've heard and seen it all, Rin. I've offered this choice to many women before you that were in your position. Some do it and move on, some don't, and those who don't…? Well, the abuser usually busts in here at some point, demanding his woman back. I'm sure you know… that is a poor, poor decision."

She knew exactly what he was speaking about. It happened only last week with one of the back-up dancers. The woman had been sent to Kuromaru's office and the man was dragged to the back alley of the club by two youkai she never seen before. She didn't know what the feud was about, but now he cleared it up. She hadn't seen either of them since.

Rin clutched the vial in her hand. Her father had threatened to come to Shikon himself and drag her off back to where he wanted her, more than once.

"You can keep that. Though its potency wears off over time, in about 2 months it would be useless. I suggest you make your decision sooner rather than later." He turned and sat at his desk, slipping on reading glasses. He began to rummage through paperwork, as if he was not just discussing murder. She couldn't peel her eyes away from the vial. 'Is this… real? Is this really happening?' "Finish up your night. Go out, enjoy yourself." Rin nodded slowly, and left his office.

She needed a distraction. 'Ice cream…' She'll just have some ice cream and think… a lot.

-:-

Takahashi turned off his car, leaning back into the genuine leather seat as he checked his phone once again. Kagura hadn't contacted him in the past three days which was highly unusual for the wind sorceress. He had no desire to go to Shikon and to figure out her whereabouts. Off-handedly, he also realized he hadn't seen the human girl in the parlor for quite some time. Kagura had kept him up-to-date with any transgression between the two, and aside from perverted abnormalities, the dragon did not reveal anything worthwhile yet.

The man left his automobile, walked into the ice cream parlor and ordered his usual dessert. As he waited, he scanned the room and was surprised to see the petite woman was actually here, sitting in her usual booth by the front windows.

She seemed to be distracted. She was picking at her ice cream, her eyes were downcast and frequently glanced to her purse. He watched her hand slide its way up her throat; she swallowed thickly and shook her head, returning her hand back to her lap. "Here you go, sir." The man handed a black credit card to the young employee, paid for his treat, and walked to her booth.

The human didn't realize his presence until he sat across from her, causing her to jump with surprise. Spoon in her closed mouth, she gave him a small smile and wave… but he couldn't take his eyes off the darkness around her neck, his sharp vision could see the imprints of the fingers that had wrapped around her throat.

She pulled out her purple pen and paper pad, 'Hi! It's been awhile.' He nodded in agreement.

"Have you seen Kagura recently?"

Rin shook her head before writing, 'No, I haven't seen her in the last couple of days.' They sat in silence for a few moments. He enjoyed quiet, but this time it was unnerving. He looked out the window, but people-watching was not something he enjoyed. She was about to take a bite of her ice cream when he was compelled to finally ask,

"Where did you get those bruises?" She stopped mid-way, her spoon gradually descended back into her cold dessert. He could see the shock on her face from the corner of his vision. When she made no move to respond, he reiterated, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." This time he did look at her.

And she smiled at him, but it was nothing like before when it was out of courtesy. It was an honest, wide, toothy grin that brightened her entire face, crinkled the corners of her gleaming eyes, and revealed a set of dimples in her rosy cheeks. He didn't understand why she smiled at him like that, or why his heart skipped a beat at the sight. Takahashi began to feel defensive, unsure what to do with such uninhibited joy directed at him. "What are you smiling about? I simply asked a question. I don't care, I'm just curious."

He didn't find her soft giggle mocking, but it caused a ridiculous fluttering sensation in his body. His eyes narrowed, he did not enjoy whatever she was doing to him. She ignored his glare though, opting instead to write on the paper pad, ripping out the sheet after she was done.

'Thank you.' He read, but what was she thanking him for? The woman grabbed her things, waved goodbye at him and hurried out of the parlor. His eyes fell back on the sheet of paper; he gingerly lifted it from the table. She wrote in cursive instead of print, her writing was flawless and easy to read, very unlike the chicken scratch most humans tried to pass off as handwriting. He glanced back at the empty seat in front of him before wordlessly folding the paper and slipping it into his blazer.

-:-

"How many times would you like to do this, Kagura?"

The wind sorceress couldn't speak, but she hoped her eyes said the 'fuck you' that she wanted to yell. She was in the basement at Shikon, cuffed to a pole with chains that were unbreakable to her. She was gagged, half-naked with streaks of her own blood decorating her body, slashes caused by Naraku's whip. She had no sense of time; she guessed it had at least been a few of days since he trapped her down here.

'I'll kill you… I'll kill you…' She chanted in her mind, renewing her struggle against her restraints.

A faint red glow in the darkness was her only warning before an indescribable pain racked her injured body. "Now tell me, who are you reporting to…?" The hanyou approached her, coming into the spotlight that lit her position. With his free hand, he pulled down the gag.

"No one." She responded, "No one but you, Naraku." It was lie, but she be damned if was going to give just yet. Through Sesshomaru, her freedom had a glimmer of possibility that she wasn't willing to forfeit. The spider hanyou narrowed his eyes, his hand clenching her beating heart just a bit. She tried to hold back her sounds of pain, but it was futile. It was too much.

"I don't appreciate liars in my club, Kagura…" He commented, releasing his grip on the organ. "Perhaps you need a couple of more days to think about it." She said nothing to him as he ascended the steps to his office. His form shifted to his soft, deceiving human appearance before he shut the door behind him.

-:-

Rin settled under her covers, wincing at the pain in her abdomen where she was just recently kicked. She left out a soft sigh, her gaze found its way to the drawer where she kept the vial Kuromaru gave her. She had made dinner tonight though she didn't put any of the deadly plant in her father's food… but she also could not bring herself to throw it out either.

Was she capable of doing such a thing? Rin hadn't stopped thinking about it since Kuromaru's words. One side of the mental argument pleaded to not do anything to the man who was still her father, to remember the good times they used to share… but those thoughts were what stopped her from ever getting true help, and fear that he would just return, angrier than before, if arrested or if she was taken away.

The other side of the argument knew this. It reasoned that the man was no longer her father, only by blood. That he never moved on from mother's death, that he was too far into his self-destruction—to the point that he longer cared for her safety and happiness—and this was a chance to relieve him from his pain and her fear.

 _"…and they will die quietly, peacefully..."_ Her boss' words echoed in her head. She turned around, facing the opposite side of her room. 'I don't want to think about it anymore.' She groaned, trying to think of _anything_ else.

 _"Where did you get those bruises?" His blue eyes didn't seem so cold at that moment, his brows were tight as were his lips. He_ almost _looked worried but she didn't dare to think that he was. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Then he looked at her. The rest of his face smoothed out to his usual stone expression but the eyes that held her gaze were not hard, but warm, even comforting. She noted flecks of gold around his pupils that she swore were not there before._

Rin shoved her face into her pillow, hiding her blushing face from… no one, but it was still embarrassing! She was being silly, that much she knew, but no one else ever asked about her bruises, not honestly like he did. He didn't look her with pity, which would make her feel ashamed, but regarded at her with something more similar to concern, which was rare for her to find. It also another thing, coupled with his habitual ice cream, that didn't fit his cold, uncaring stereotype. She successfully rolled herself into a burrito of blankets, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.

'There is more to you, Mr. Takahashi…' Rin let herself drift off into a mostly peaceful slumber, dreaming of blue eyes and cookie dough.

**End of Chapter 3**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't mind me, just finally uploading all the chapters I already had done on FF onto here!


	4. Tension

POISON | Love Her

**Chapter 4**

Tension

'Thoughts/Rin's writing'

_Flashbacks_

Original Publish Date: 3/30/2014

* * *

"Yes, I agree… It has been a troublesome thing lately, though I have plans to take care of it… I am aware of the risks… You know I can't say what… How about you join us? It's been years since your last visit here… I believe I have a girl worthy of your time…" Naraku sat behind his desk, tapping the end of a pen on the pad as he spoke on his office phone. "I forgot no one is worthy of your time. Should you decide to take up the offer, there is always a girl and a room here for you, Sesshomaru." The man sneered after hanging up with the youkai.

Ryukotsusei's fetishes he could easily overlook, especially with the money it brought in, but Sesshomaru was entirely different. His holier-than-thou attitude was beyond aggravating. He was making it very difficult to learn more of him. He rarely met with anyone outside his isolated fortress in the west, and had a human disguise that no one knew.

Naraku himself decided to take that same route, but he had a deep suspicion that Sesshomaru already knew of his human identity and suspected that was Kagura's doing. Unfortunately, it was not so simply to create a new one and move on, not after all that he built under this human name.

One of the bouncers entered the room, "Sir, Rin has arrived. She does not look any better…" Kuromaru dismissed the man, a sigh threatening to escape his lips.

'She will do it eventually, when her father drags her down and leaves her nearly as broken as he is, she will turn into an animal like the rest of us.'

-:-

2 Days Later.

"Did you see who is out there!?" Yura busted into the backroom, a large, greedy grin on her face. Rin and Sango were busy changing clothing per Kuromaru's request.

"I'm guessing it has something to do with this." Sango remarked, motioning towards the costume she was putting on.

Yura cocked her head to the side, "I can't tell if you are a stripper or cosplaying with high-level MMO armor…" Rin smiled at the youkai's comment, agreeing with her. She, on the other hand, just finished tying up a white corset over the mostly clear bra that covered the perk of her breasts with rhinestones. "I think Naraku has an inner gamer-nerd that has a total hard on for you, Sango."

"HE IS OUT THERE!?" The strong woman abruptly roared, scaring all the girls in the room. Rin swore she saw smoke coming out of her ears.

"Y-yeah. Chill out!" Yura replied, putting her hands on the dancer's shoulders. "If it helps, all the others are here too…?"

Sango cursed under her breath, "I suppose." Rin gave the human a confused look, and she caught it. The older woman sighed as she began to style her hair. "Naraku and I had a… disagreement a very long time ago. I don't like the man and I never will. He's just as sadistic as Ryukotsusei."

"Hey, Rin, you never met the other two mafia guys right?" Yura asked as she quickly began to change her clothes. She shook her head as she slipped on white thigh-high stockings.

"Guys, she says… They are _lords_ and we have to be more careful around these two than we are with the dragon." Sango said, before she painted her lips a deep red.

"Yeah, yeah, be safe and all that junk." Yura remarked with a dismissive wave of her hand. "What's really important is that Naraku and Sesshomaru pay well, like damn well. You thought Ryukotsusei was throwing his money around? I've seen Naraku make it rain 100s for the hell of it." The hair youkai began to do her makeup, "No matter how short the night may be, we never leave with less than 5k _each_."

Rin blinked in shock, 'That's a ton of money in one night.' She thought as she attached the half-skirt to the back of her corset. She turned to look at her behind in the mirror, making some adjustments to make sure the long fabric hung in the center.

"Usually high-pay equals high-risk." Sango reiterated. "Naraku doesn't deal with rejection well _at all_ , I imagine Sesshomaru is the same."

"That's true." Yura mumbled as she curled her lashes. "BUT Rin here looks like she will be Sesshomaru's girl for the night…"

Sango grinned, "Yes, it does… Her costume is far too classy for the taste of those other two jerk-offs."

The younger girl briefly paused in applying her soft pink blush and looked at the two strangely, noting the sudden change of tone in the conversation. They were beginning to speak as if—

"I'm jealous." Yura dramatically pouted, lightly throwing her lipstick across her vanity.

Sango laughed at the youkai, "Remember we all only get one time with him…"

"It's not fairrrr…" Yura began to run her hands through her short hair, "Hey, maybe Rin can let us in on the action, huh?"

'Oh my god.' Rin stopped and put down her makeup brush, swallowing thickly. She didn't want to do anything with anyone, especially not some mafia lord!

"Hey, you okay?" Rin didn't respond, letting Sango grab the length of her hair and help her brush it. "Don't worry about Sesshomaru, alright? He will either look at you with complete disgust and not want to touch you…" She winced at that. It was never nice to be looked at like that.

"… Or if he likes your performance…" Rin saw the older woman blush from her reflection on the mirror. "He'll… make sure to show you how much he liked it." Sango finished vaguely, giving her a small pat on the back. "He's really not all too bad."

"Hey, where's Kagura?" Yura asked, finishing her get-up.

Sango shrugged as she went back to her vanity. "I don't know, Kuromaru said something about her taking a vacation. She deserves it. She was diffidently overworked covering both Kikyo's and her appearances…"

'Oh, that's where she's been.' Rin thought, dabbing a muted pink gloss over her lips. 'I guess I'll tell that to Takahashi if I see him later.' She looked into the mirror, finally satisfied with her hair, collected in a bun that would be easy to remove, and her makeup, light and fresh. She slipped on the white satin opera-length gloves, then adjusted her corset a bit and made sure the half skirt flowing behind her was smooth.

"Oh, look at her." Yura said with a soft sigh, resting a bent arm on Sango's shoulders, "He's going to eat you up, literally."

Rin didn't get a chance to react as one of the other dancers opened the door. "Ladies, the men upstairs are ready!"

"Well, let's go and get paid!" Yura exclaimed, her magenta eyes sparkling as she grabbed both Sango and Rin and rushed out of the room.

-:-

Rin fidgeted in her place behind the curtain. They were supposed to 'introduce' themselves to the powerful men by giving just a little minute-or-two performance, only a tease. Sango was almost done and then it would be her turn on the mini-stage. She never liked 'introduction' performances, because she would rather get the whole thing over with. Also, it meant that the main performance would be in private rooms, which she always avoided. She heard her name being called, 'Sango must have finished.' She took a breath and slipped one leg between the heavy, black curtains before she stepped out on the stage.

She saw Sango sitting against Naraku who had an arm around her, looking rather unhappy about it though the half-demon didn't seem to care. Yura was sitting on Ryukotsusei's lap with one arm around his neck and gave her a rather excited wave. Her eyes then landed on who must be Sesshomaru and she felt her heart stop. The two women had _completely failed_ to mention exactly how attractive the demon was.

His snowy-white hair was longer than even Ryukotsusei's, and spilled like liquid silver over his black suit and the plush leather seat. She approached the pole, never taking her eyes off of him. His gaze reminded her of cookie dough man, cold, hard with fire underneath the surface, but his eyes were an exotic golden hue. She did a few twirls, unable to do much without first stripping the skirt—but that had to wait! She strutted over to the left side of the small stage, directly in front of her client for the night.

His skin was pale, but almost appeared to be glowing in the dim light. Her hands made their way up her body, before she picked one end of her long gloves. Gingerly, she slowly began to pull the long sleeve down, it was only about a quarter of the way down before she saw a flicker of lust in his gaze and the dragon yelling, "Oh, come on!"

She tried hard to not roll her eyes at Ryukotsusei before she quickly lifted the glove back into its original position, wagging a disapproving finger at both youkai with a playful smirk on her lips.

She hopped down the small stage, mindful of her heels, before sitting next to the captivating man, giving him her best smile. He didn't smile back, but she felt his arm drop to her shoulder and pull her closer to him. A couple of waitresses gathered, putting down expensive bottles of dark youkai wine. While the men conversed, the three women made sure their glasses were always filled and any of their needs were met but Sesshomaru did not ask for anything.

Rin had thought it was a bit strange, though he didn't do much talking either… Normally it would be a bit awkward, but she was more thankful that the mafia lord was way less grabby than Ryukotsusei and didn't have that kind of creepy-ish aura that Naraku had. She would take little peeks at his face during their little meeting, wondering if the stripes on his face felt different from the rest of skin or if the moon that decorated his forehead had any significance.

"Well, not to worry, I'll be putting that arrogant little human in his place soon." Ryukotsusei sneered, finishing his third glass of wine. Yura instantly filled it up as the dragon looked over at Sesshomaru. "You're not being fair, hiding the girl over there, Sesshomaru."

Rin instantly tensed up, and sunk herself deeper into the seat, closer to the larger body next to her. She nearly let out a small 'eep' when a clawed hand gave her shoulder a light squeeze. She didn't expect it, and it almost seemed… comforting? She didn't understand why he did it.

"I thought humans were not of your taste, Ryukotsusei."

"A demon can change. Besides, I can say the same for you."

"I recall hearing you are here nearly twice a week, Ryukotsusei… I believe you've seen enough of her." Naraku interjected, his red eyes narrowed.

The dragon either missed the hanyou's patronizing tone or was completely ignoring it… Rin would bet money on the latter. "You have obviously not seen her, if you think it's possible to get enough." The look the dragon gave her made her want to disappear through the sofa.

Yura tried to diffuse the little tension between the hanyou and dragon, moving to sit on Ryukotsusei's lap, facing him. "You know, you talk too much sometimes." She wrapped her arms around his neck and made sure to press her large chest against him, grounding her hips against his. Without hesitation, she captured the daiyoukai's lips in a rough kiss.

She was not going to sit here and watch _that_. Rin turned to face the silver-haired demon, flashing a smile as she stood, grabbing his hands to urge him to stand. He allowed it, and she led him into the one of the VIP private rooms. She served him the drink of his choice, before turning on the music, making sure not to make too loud. Kuromaru mentioned her client would have 'very sensitive hearing' and preferred a more burlesque-type performance.

Rin ran her hand run across the back of his shoulders as she made to face him before she began to dance. Letting her body sway to the beat, she tried to concentrate on the music, as the daiyoukai's gaze was far too powerful to keep. 'I'm not afraid of him… He's not going to do anything…' She kept saying to herself as she gently tugged on each gloved finger before she took her time removing the satin cloth, giving it a twirl before throwing it across the room, mimicking the same action on the other hand.

With the gloves gone, she felt her nerves begin to calm. 'One down…' She took her time getting up the small stage, dancing around the pole, and occasionally meeting his intense stare with a smile. She thought he liked her smiles, or she at least hoped she wasn't reading him totally wrong. Rin faced him again, and then quickly spun around as her hands worked the clasp that kept her half-skirt together.

She swayed her hips with the music, slowly letting the fabric fall just below the curve of her behind. She shook her rear just a bit, before throwing the half-skirt to the side. 'Okay, so far so good…' She thought. He didn't seem displeased with her.

She kicked off her white pumps clear to side—diffidently did not want to hit anyone or anything with those. She unraveled her wild hair before grabbing the pole; she did a few spins and tricks, finishing with a Twisted Grip Ayesha*. She gracefully dropped to the floor, crawled to the edge of the mini-stage and laid on her back, giving the daiyoukai a playful bite of her lip.

Rin raised her leg until her toes pointed straight to the ceiling. She hooked each thumb under the lacy edge of her stockings and began to push upward until she got to her ankles, then she bent her leg to able to pull the last of the stocking off her foot, discarding it randomly with the rest of the clothing. She copied the same move on her other leg, but did not watch where she threw it and it ended up draped over the daiyoukai's shoulder.

Her cheeks felt heated as the serious man raised an eyebrow at her. 'Oh my god…!' She mentally screamed, she had not meant to do that! She didn't want to encourage anything! Outwardly, the woman only smiled with a soft shrug of her exposed shoulder before she slid down the platform and closed the distance between them.

She picked up the sheer fabric, unconsciously ensuring her cleavage was in his clear view—and trying very hard to not notice the daiyoukai's little problem while she tossed the stocking aside. 'Though little would not be the word for it.' Mortified by her own thoughts, Rin did a small spin away from the man, her back to him. Her fingers grabbed one end of the tie that kept one side of her corset together, she tugged the ends until the knot came undone. Her hands moved to the front, beginning to unclasp the front of the restricting cloth.

She held it in place once all the hooks were loose, turning to look at him—at his nose specifically as she lost all nerve to even glance at his eyes. She opened up the corset in a slow, teasing pace, revealing inch-by-inch her flat, toned stomach and the flimsy, sparkling bra. Once she discarded the corset, she spun once more. Her intention was to continue the dance, shake her butt a few times, finish her pole routine, get her money, leave, etc. but…

She heard the sound of glass being set down on wood, but she didn't hear him get up and most certainly was not expecting the strong arms around her bare waist or the hard chest against her back.

Rin's logical side of the brain had a _tiny_ issue trying to get caught up to speed with what was happening, getting lost in the feel of his body flush against hers and his hot breath against her skin. She moaned when he nibbled a particularly sensitive part in half-way down her neck and dangerous claws pinched her thigh. She didn't protest against the hand that cupped her breast and the fangs that nipped their way down her throat, drawing another moan from her.

His chuckle finally pulled her out of the haze. She saved herself for this long; she wasn't going to let some _crook_ take the only thing she had left—nevermind how attractive he was or how his lips felt against her skin! 'Forget all of that!'

She quickly spun around in his arms, placing her hands against his chest and pushed—and it was totally useless. She was pushing with all her strength—and she wasn't a total weakling, it was hard work to pole-dance!—but it was like trying move a mountain.

"What are you doing?" His voice was mocking, and it infuriated her. He knew exactly what she was doing, 'No need to ask!' She pointed down between, hoping he would get that she was referring to the very hard … _thing_ that was pressed against her lower stomach, and then shook her head vigorously.

"No..?" Rin then crossed her arms and nodded. The daiyoukai didn't seem to want to drop it then and there… "Do you know what kind of youkai I am…?" She shook her head, she kind of liked that sexy smirk on his face but didn't see what this had to do with anything—"I'm an inuyoukai. I have a much heightened sense of hearing…" His nose was on her neck, his claws skirted down her open back and she pushed against his shoulders with no avail. "… and smell. I can scent your excitement."

That was very, _very_ embarrassing, and dangerous. She did not need a mafia lord knowing she was attracted to him! 'Though… with his looks, he probably has a bunch of women to choose from. One less shouldn't hurt!' He stood up straight, but still didn't let her go, his expression curious. "You don't want me to touch you?"

She nodded and gave one little more push against his chest to empathize her point. She didn't fail to realize the firmness of the muscles underneath where she pressed, and scolded herself for it. He let her go and she took two steps back, hugging herself with her arms and looking down to the floor. She suddenly felt very naked under his gaze—not that she had much clothes on to begin with—but she felt her usual defenses did nothing against him.

He had gotten so close— _too close_.

She allowed the clawed fingers under chin, raising her head so her eyes met his. There was a peculiar look on his face that she couldn't figure out; his gaze was hard and unforgiving. Sango's little words about these men not being able to handle rejection well echoed in her mind. She prepared for the worst but the youkai only said one thing…

"You don't belong here." His words were said with enough frost to make her visibly wince. He let her go once more, turning on his heel to place an envelope the end table beside the loveseat, and walked out of the room without a glance. 'What did he mean by that?' She rubbed the sides of her arms, 'Did I get him angry…?' Reluctantly, she went over and grabbed the envelope, opening it. 'Yura wasn't joking.'

But there was something else in the stack of green, and she pulled the small, off-white paper out. It listed a time, location, of an event…?

'An invitation…?' She looked at the paper, puzzled. 'Why would he…? What?' Rin put down the envelope but kept the invite in her hands. She glanced at the door, 'Should I go…?' Her body was still hot from his touch, she could still feel the trail his claws ghosted down her spine. She wanted to go, only to see him again if it meant quenching her des—'OKAY. Enough!' She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind of perverted thoughts.

'I can't go. Getting involved with these murderous men… Especially him.' Rin never felt so weak around another man.

He only touched her. She had been touched before, it came with the territory, but why didn't she stop him immediately like she always had done? She always found it easy to say no and slap the perverted hands away. Rin never gave in to the false promises that her clients cooed of romance, of loving her—she had seen what it done to the other girls, many who came from abuse like her…

Granted, he didn't say something about the latter but she knew it would only be a matter of time. It was always like that, the dragon was already doing so, how long would be before the inuyoukai followed suit? She bit her lip, closing her eyes as she attempted to strengthen her decision. 'I can't go. I won't.'

She ripped the invite in shreds and dumped in the unfinished wine to ensure she wouldn't be able to read it again before she changed her mind. Unsatisfied, she took it a step further, grabbing the glass and dumping the tainted drink in the sink of the small bar, turning on the faucet to ensure each little piece of paper was washed away.

She snatched up her pay, and made her way out the room as she thought to herself, 'I am a talented and respected dancer at Shikon, saving up money for school, a doctor, and a home away from abuse… What I am **not** is one of the mafia's playthings.'

And she was going to make damn sure Ryukotsusei knew that as well.

**End of Chapter 4**


	5. POISON

POISON | Love Her

**Chapter 5**

_POISON_

'Thoughts/Rin's writing'

_Flashbacks_

Original Publish Date: 4/20/2014

**Later that Night.**

Takahashi was surprised to see the girl take a seat across from him. He had suspected she would simply return home after her… lively night. She waved at him with her brilliant smile before chowing down quite ravenously on her dessert. "Hungry?"

She stopped with the spoon in her mouth, nodding quickly. He watched her as she ate; the cold treat was gone in minutes, he was almost impressed by the speed. Once she was done with the waffle cup, the human just sat there and pouted, looking at the empty spoon and cup with a sad face.

Her dramatic expression almost amused him. "Still hungry?" She sighed and nodded, her eyes darted between the empty cup and the counter. He contemplated taking her to eat. With Kagura still missing, he no longer had eyes and ears on Naraku. Sango had been his prime candidate in this situation as the woman already loathed the hanyou, but Ryukotsusei's eagerness to be near Rin made her far more valuable to him. He would have to earn the girl's trust.

Making his decision, he stood from the booth, throwing out both of their empty cups first as her curious eyes followed his movements, and then offered her his hand. "Come." Her wide eyes blinked up at him, then his hand. She accepted it and soon they were walking down the street to their destination, a small, upscale restaurant named "FEAST".

Takahashi ignored the long line, entering the establishment and immediately attracting the attention of the manager. "Mr. Takahashi! We were not expecting you!" The man noticed Rin, "And you have a guest! If you could just give us 2-3 minutes at most, we'll have a table for you!" He gave the flamboyant man a curt nod and directed his attention back to Rin, who was looking up the walls and ceilings of the restaurant.

"You have never been here before." She looked back at him and shook her head. The manager approached them again, and personally seated them in half-circle booth in the VIP area. Their waiter soon came over, handing out menus to them both.

"Will it be the usual wine, Mr. Takahashi?" The man nodded. "And for the lady?" She pointed something out in the menu. "I'll be right back with your drinks!" He had already known what he would order, content to sit there and watch the girl flip through the menus with a concentrated expression. The way she licked her lips when she read something that caught her interest was very… distracting.

"Here you go!" The waiter put down a pink drink for Rin, which smelled of some berry mixed with lemonade, and then poured a glass of the deep red wine and left the bottle on the table. "What will you two be having this—oh!" Rin eagerly pointed out a dish in the menu, cutting off the man. He chuckled softly, "I'll get that right away for you. Will you be having the usual ribeye, Mr. Takahashi?" He nodded and the waiter scurried off.

Rin sipped her drink, her doe like eyes wildly trying to take in everything and everyone around her. The human couldn't seem to sit still in her seat, swaying from side to side or playing with the straw in her drink. When she caught his stare, she smiled and waved at him again. "You are acting strange." She blinked, and then pulled out her paper and pen.

'Sorry! Lots on my mind.' She jotted down.

"Hmm, how was your day?" Takahashi asked casually, sipping his wine.

'Pretty eventful, work was interesting…' There was a dark flush on her face, and he knew exactly what she was thinking of. 'Yours?'

"Same." He answered vaguely. They sat in a comfortable silence until the food arrived. The girl nearly sprung another chuckle out of him tonight when he saw her wide, hungry eyes land on the grilled halibut she ordered. She devoured the large fish fillet in notable time and took her time with her side items of mashed sweet potatoes and roasted broccoli.

He continued to glance at her while they enjoyed their meal, unable to keep his gaze from her long. He briefly wondered if the girl had any idea of her effect on Ryukotsusei and Naraku.

_"I recall hearing you are here nearly twice a week, Ryukotsusei… I believe you've seen enough of her."_

_"You have obviously not seen her, if you think it's possible to get enough."_

Naraku seemed strangely possessive over the young woman, and it would take a fool to not see Ryukotsusei's fierce, yet out of character, desire for her. What was this girl? He was starting to doubt the girl was a simple human, surely there must be some sort of spell or incantation she placed that is making those two behave that way.

And then there was a paper pad in his face, nearly pressing against his nose. It read, 'You keep staring!' She huffed when she pulled it away, but did not truly appear annoyed.

"Does it bother you?"

She tapped the pen a couple of times on her chin before jotting down, 'Not if you tell me why! :D'

That would involve admitting he found her, at best, interesting—which he would not do. She pouted when he didn't respond.

At that moment when she attempted to put her notepad down, the girl's knife slipped down from her plate and was heading to the floor. She caught it in time, only to bump her head on the table when moving back up with enough force to send the wine bottle on its descent. She caught it also, surprising even herself judging by her expression, before setting the items back on the table with an embarrassed look.

He immediately threw out the notion of the girl being capable of any enchantments.

They finished their meals and the waiter collected their plates, asking if they would want dessert. He had thought Rin would say no, but instead she had nodded quite eagerly and ordered the warm deep-dish cookie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. He watched her eat the dessert as he took his time with his last glass of wine, wondering where the petite girl was fitting all the food.

A drop of the melting dessert landed on her chest just as she finished her bite. She wiped the creamy liquid on her skin off with her finger and sucked it off her fingertip, then continued to finish the last of her treat, oblivious to his gaze. He, on the other hand, completely downed the remaining glass of his drink in one go as he mentally reprimanded himself for his immoral thoughts. He was behaving as if he was still in his hormonal teens, and the lack of control and discipline was absolutely disgusting—

_"You don't want me to touch you?" He was genuinely surprised, though he would not show it. There were no women or men—whether they were youkai, hanyou, or human—that had ever refused him, for anything. They either succumb to his wishes due to their fear or attraction to him… Yet this mute, small,_ human _woman stood in his iron grip, with a rebellious look on her face and her toned arms attempting to push him away—outright refusing a daiyoukai without a thought to her safety._

He was far above raping any gender or species for satisfaction. Sex was something he would only occasionally partake in despite his reputation as Sesshomaru, and he could find any woman to satisfy his desire when it would arise... but he would be lying to himself if the girl's rejection earlier that night did not further spike his curiosity.

"Here is the check! No rush! If you two want anything else, just wave me down!" Takahashi made a move to grab the burgundy check holder, but he was not anticipating the woman snatching it away from him.

"Rin." He would not allow this. "Give me the check." But she shook her head, a defiant and determined look in her eyes. He made a move to take it from her, had he not been 'acting human' he would have gotten it, but she raised it far above her head, and out of his reach, as she opened to take a look at the receipt. Her jaw dropped and her attention shifted to the bottle of wine and then him. The wine he enjoyed was **very** expensive— "I will take care of it."

She only gave him another shake of her head before rummaging through her purse, most likely for cash. Taking advantage of her distraction, and feeling utterly ridiculous for having to do this, Takahashi silently scooted till he was at her side of the booth and grabbed the check holder.

She gasped and snatched it right back from him with impressive speed, shaking her head vigorously before stuffing some bills inside and throwing it clear across the room. The startled waiter caught it with no problem, but decided not to comment.

Rin turned to him and stuck the tip of her tongue out at him, her eyes glittering with laughter. He gave her a flat look that conveyed his great annoyance. Sesshomaru, no matter what form he was in, did not get his meals paid for, especially by a human woman.

But the girl only met his glare with a smile, completely undeterred by his irritation.

She rose from the table, and then the couple left the restaurant and headed back towards the ice cream parlor. He noticed her car was not in the parking lot. "How did you get here?" She pointed at the bus stop across the street. "I will drive you home."

He scented her fear before it reached her eyes, and she violently shook her head. "It is late." It was around 2AM last he checked, and the area they were in wasn't exactly the greatest after midnight. He frowned, "I will not leave you here. "

She shook her head again—her heart was pounding, her pupils were contracted, her breathing was irregular—In short, she was terrified, 'Why?' Did she believe he would harm her? When her hands rubbed the sides of her neck, he knew. 'So her abuser lives with her…' "I can leave you a block away from your home if there is an issue..." The offer relaxed her a bit, and she accepted.

-:-

'This is a _really_ nice car.' Rin thought, not wanting to touch anything but the leather seat she sat on. She didn't want to break or sully anything. The woman would occasionally glance up at Takahashi, not wanting to keep her eyes off him too long.

She thought he was very handsome, he did not have the exotic flair that Sesshomaru had—'Where did that come from?' Why was she comparing the two? Rin realized that they only exchanged a couple of sentences throughout the night, and didn't actually hold a full conversation. She sulked, 'That's a little hard to do when one doesn't have a voice.'

They weren't too far from her house now, only a couple of more blocks. She hoped he would keep his word about not dropping her off directly to her home—

'No… No, no, no.' Her breathing shortened when she met the auburn eyes of her father, sitting in his truck at the stoplight, only one empty lane separating the two vehicles. 'He's looking… He's looking…' She was frozen in place, her hands gripping the purse in her lap as they shook.

"Rin?"

She didn't hear him. Rin only saw the anger flare on her father's expression when his eyes took in the car she was in, even the darkness of the night could not hide his rage, his disgust, his disappointment. He won't believe her. He won't believe that she isn't selling herself completely. The flashy car she was in would be proof enough for him.

"Rin?" She jumped in her seat when a warm hand touched her arm, her eyes shifted to the man in the driver's seat. "Who is that?" Her gaze dropped to the floor, unwilling to answer. She didn't want to get into any more trouble, and more importantly, she didn't want to drag anyone into the drama of her life.

So she stayed quiet, for his sake.

Rin heard him exhale and continue driving, until he reached the corner of her street. Her house was only about 5 houses down from the corner, it would take only a couple of minutes to walk to it… but she hesitated when grabbing the handle of the car door, not wanting to leave. She didn't want to experience the pain that she would surely greet her at that house.

"You do not need to leave." The statement was said so softly and when she turned to look at him, it appeared as if he said nothing with his blank expression—and she settled that the words were all in her head. Why would a stranger like him offer something like that? A dark voice nagged that he wanted to sleep with her—but she did her best to ignore it, he didn't seem the type for that. She took out her mini-note pad, jotting down 'Thank you' before ripping it off and handing it to him.

Steeling her mind, and body, Rin exited the vehicle without a second glance and headed towards her home. She didn't rush the short walk. Her father's truck was in the driveway, it appeared he was already inside… 'What's that smell?' She fumbled with her keys as a particular scent tickled her nose, 'It smells like… smoke?' Rin opened the front and shut it behind her, making her way to the left where she saw the light of her room spill into the hall. 'He was in there?'

Panic filled her and her first thought was confirmed when she saw the complete mess her room was in. Her mattress was overturned, all the drawers of the large chest were on the floor, clothing, make-up and other items scattered around carelessly. Her closet doors were wide open; the boxes from the top shelf had their contents spilled all over the floor, old albums filled with photos of a once happy family. None appeared damaged much to her relief.

'Where's…?' The case with her cash was gone, and the vial with Kuromaru's poison was missing among the wreckage. 'Oh god, where is he?' She followed the scent of earlier to the kitchen door that led to their backyard.

There was a fire blazing in the night, fueled by money she earned—all the unwanted touches, perverted stares, fake smiles, and long nights—in just minutes, all her sacrifices were in vain and the man responsible was there, lying with his back against the dying grass as he twirled the vial above him.

"Drugs and fucking rich, snobby businessmen now?" His voice cracked as he sat up but she did not look at him, her flat expression watched the fire flick wildly against the soft night breeze. 'Thousands… gone.' He didn't like being ignored. She didn't have time to react to the slap across her face or her purse being yanked from her and being thrown to the growing fire. "The shit I've done for you… and you go and continue to disappoint me."

He turned to face the flames, his hands wide and to the sky. "Look at all this you were hiding from me! What were you saving for, huh?" She didn't respond. When his hands gripped the tops of her arms, she didn't flinch. Her passiveness drove him insane. "You aren't going to leave me, nonono, you're staying with Daddy, you hear me?! You're not leaving like she did!" He shook her, "Look at me!" She didn't. "Look at me!"

This time she did, and instead of feeling the sharp increase of fear pounding in her chest at his maddened eyes, she only felt a deep sense of pity—and he caught it. "Don't fucking look at me like that!" He slapped her again, his breath coming out in harsh, short pants. "Your mother would be disgusted with you." She looked at him wide-eyed; he never made a comment like that. Ever.

He dropped back down to the grass, with his back to her as he opened the vial. "She's probably rolling in her grave. Her daughter ended up being a fucking mute whore." Rin watched as he pulled out a paper from his pocket, and poured some of the leafy poison onto the—'He doesn't know.' She thought as she watched him roll it up, 'He doesn't know what it is…' "Who the hell fucks a mute whore?" His ramblings seemed to fade from her mind; she only heard the sound of the fire crackling away at her earnings and the sound of his inhales as he...

'He's smoking it…' And Rin watched. She watched him smoke the half of joint as his ramblings became more and more unintelligible. "Fucking Emiko…" Rin turned away at that point, and slowly entered the house. With the door shut behind her, she let her back hit the wood as she slid to the floor. She heard his laughter, it was maniacal and terrifying, and occasionally cut off by his harsh coughing.

Her father was losing his mind.

Rin felt the hot tears stream down her face, she didn't know when she started crying or for what. For the money? For her father? 'Or because I'm doing nothing…?' His coughing was getting worse. Each hack, each raspy intake, she heard it so perfectly and it jabbed at her soul each time. He needed help…

"Emiko!" 'But it's too late, isn't it? He had so much…' Rin got up to her knees to peek out the window on the door. He was bashing his fists to the ground, screaming into the fire. She couldn't see his face, but could hear his pain through his voice.

'Maybe…' The woman began to think, watching the man she once thought of as proud, wise, and unbreakable. He was on his hands and knees, his head hung between his shoulders as he growled out words she could no longer hear or understand. 'Maybe you'll get to see Mom again…' His body fell to the side. 'Then you'll be happy, won't you? That's all you want, right?'

Rin inhaled sharply. 'What am I thinking?' She wiped away the tears, shaking the thoughts out of her head. ' _What am I doing_?!' She couldn't fall into that kind of thinking—those horrid thoughts she used in convenience to justify her inaction. Yes, she wanted to get away from everything that her father now was— _but not like this_.

Rin quickly stood, scribbled down a cry for help and dashed to her neighbor's home. The young woman next door was irritated at being awaken but jumped into action once she read Rin's note. The older woman handed her a fire extinguisher as she chattered on the phone with emergency. Rin quickly made it back into her backyard and kicked the vial into the fire before prepping the extinguisher.

She waited until she heard the glass pop and the woman urging her to put out the fire while she checked her father's body, before spraying down the flames. From the corner of her version, she saw the woman pick up what was left of the joint, give a quick sniff and curse as she threw it aside. "Naraku."

'What? Naraku?' Rin glanced at older woman, if she recalled correctly, her name was Enju*, a human with unusual bright, orange eyes.

"Looks like your father's lifestyle caught up to him." Her eyes softened when she looked up at her, "I'm sorry, Rin. For humans, there is no coming back from taking direct shots of Naraku's miasma plant." 'How does she know this?' The woman made pottery, what would she know about men like Naraku? Enju stood from her crouched position, and placed her hands on Rin's shoulders. "I'm sorry." The auburn-haired woman hugged her, and Rin looked at her father's lifeless body from over her shoulder. 'He's… gone…'

The rest was a haze of flashing red and blue, men dressed in black with shiny badges—questions of what happened, how, why, if she was okay, did she have any family remaining, did the drug belong to her or him, where did it come from—and she answered them all from her seat at the dining table, scribbling down her responses with trembling hands. She had to circumvent the complete truth about the drug's origin, now that she knew her employer and Naraku for sure had a strong connection. What that meant for her… she didn't know, she didn't want to dwell on it for now.

The sun began to rise by the time they were all gone, and she was alone in the single-family home, still sitting at the table as the rays of light filtered into the room.

It was eerily quiet and every tiny sound seemed harshly loud. She could hear every chirp from the awakening birds outside, the tick-tock of her great grandfather's clock in the living room, the slow drip from the kitchen faucet... 'There's no one left here.' Rin crossed her arms on the table and laid her head down flat against them.

… And she cried for him, until her eyes burned, until her heart was numb, and her exhausted body fell into a tormented slumber.

-:-

"It is done."

"Interesting…" Kuromaru went over the report the man handed to him, "Does Ryukotsusei know yet?"

"No, not yet. I estimate we have about another hour or so before the news reaches him."

"With the dragon oblivious and those men without guidance, driving them out of that district should be easy." Kuromaru leaned back into his leather chair, "I will not tolerate failure in this simple mission, Byakuya."

"I understand. Will Hakudoshi be accompanying me?"

"No." The hanyou stood from his seat, walking around the wood desk. "I will not be here at Shikon for the day. Should any issues arise, I will be at Blue Moon."

"Stealing another one of Kaguya's women? She will throw a fit."

The hanyou chuckled, "She has no choice in the matter. Kagura will need to be replaced."

"Ah... I see." Byakuya shifted in place, knowing fully well that he may not see that incarnation again. "If that is all…"

"Yes, go. Take whatever you need with you to finish the job." The hanyou dismissed his subordinate, waiting until the man left the room before making his way to the basement.

The wind witch refused to give up any information. It was a pity, really, her determination was almost admirable. She was one of the longest surviving incarnation he created, the title now left to Kanna, and proved her worth time and time again, but she was getting far too clever, there were times where even he could not find out what she was hiding from him. If she hadn't been so hung up on a false sense of freedom…

Naraku was unsurprised when he flicked the switch to see the chains that held her were empty. He heard some of her thoughts of escaping the night before; peeked into her mind to view an elaborate plan she had involving Sesshomaru to achieve her 'freedom'. She slipped up, thinking much too loudly in her distressed state and he heard it all. It might have all worked out for her…

Now she wasn't thinking. Now she was truly desperate. 'That sword won't save you, Kagura.'

Her heart appeared in his hand, pumping wildly. She was frightened, surely she knew he would kill her before she got into Sesshomaru's territory, that Tensaiga could not revive her incomplete body. 'Why run from the inevitable?' He squeezed the organ, a sickening smirk painted his lips when he heard her shout of pain in his mind.

'Foolish woman.' His claws dug into the pounding heart, ensuring the wind sorceress could hear his words in her head. 'No one will mourn your passing. You will die alone and your fabricated soul will return to _my body_. Kagura, you will never be free from me for as long as _I_ live.'

He didn't flinch at her soul-shattering scream or when blood from the erratic organ in his hand splattered on to his face. Turning back into his office, he threw the organ in the trash without a care as his appearance shifted into his soft, human form. He cleaned off the blood from his face in the small bathroom of his office and changed his blazer, his mind now on the girl that would replace the wind witch.

Naraku didn't want too many humans in his star line-up, but when he saw the young woman at Blue Moon, her appearance so similar to Kikyou's… 'Kagome, I believe her name was…' Her performance skill was a bit lacking, he figured Rin and the other girls could help her with that.

Kouga would like her, he was sure of it. By the time he would return from the States, she would be ready to seduce him into returning to his club over and over again.

There was also Bankotsu calling about Yura, Suikotsu asking for the two sisters Botan and Momiji depending on which personality was on the phone that day, Hiten coming nearly every day for Suijin—The hanyou scoffed as he adjusted his tie, it was almost all too easy using his women to reel these youkai in.

'Except Sesshomaru…' With the wind witch dead, he had no pull over the inuyoukai, though he doubted the demoness meant that much to him. The dog was only after solid information of his enemies and he did not care how it was obtained, even if it meant forming false friendships.

'Rin did not grab his attention, it seems.' It was a shot in the dark, pairing the two. He had honestly only recruited the girl for her talent, and her innocent appearance was something missing at Shikon, it was a pleasant surprise to find out later her father ran the primary gang in one of Ryukotsusei's districts—one close to his borders that would be simple to overtake—then to have the dragon so attracted to her was not even a possibility in his mind, but she achieved it without trying.

'Though with that come a few issues…' The hanyou sneered as he thought of the daiyoukai's treatment of the young human; the dragon was far too rough with her for his liking and demanded her far too often. It was not that he cared for her well-being; Ryukotsusei's fetishes and border-line obsession of her hindered the amount of customers the girl brings in—some were even afraid of approaching her.

Regardless, he hoped that perhaps she could do the same with the icy daiyoukai—he would gladly give up any profit for that—but when he saw Sesshomaru leave his club early and the girl being able to walk out of the private room with no issue, he knew nothing transpired between the two. 'How odd… Her performances are exceptional…' He would just have to kill the youkai the old-fashioned way when the time came.

Kuromaru left the club with a duffel bag in hand, leaving a note to the bouncer at the door, before slipping into his black Nissan GT-R and made his way out of the lot.

The hanyou sighed after reading the clock, it was only around 7AM. First, he would have to deal with the officers working on the gang leader's death, by then Byakuya should be done overtaking the dragon's district and he would have to pass by and simply kill any who opposed the change of leadership. After that, off to steal another one of the moon youkai's women…

A dark smile quirked the corners of his lips, he was going to have a _wonderful_ day.

**End of Chapter 5**


	6. Fantasia

POISON | Love Her

**Chapter 6**

Fantasia

'Thoughts/Rin's writing'

_Flashbacks_

Original Publish Date: 11/6/2015

"What are you doing?"

Yura dropped what she held in the open drawer of the vanity in front of her and shut it, giving Sango a sheepish grin. "Nooothing!"

The human wasn't buying it, "That was a skull."

"No, it wasn't!"

"Yes, it was."

The hair demon sighed, "Maybe." She then crossed her arms, "Don't bother asking, you wouldn't understand!"

"I know more about demons than you think…" Sango sat in her area next to Yura's, prepping her clean face for her usual makeup routine. "… I just think Kuromaru would have an issue with it. Does he know you bring that stuff here?"

"No…" Yura pouted, "You won't tell him right?"

Sango rolled her eyes, why in the world would she do that? "Of course not!"

At that moment, one of Kuromaru's guards entered the room. His name escaped the girls—they rarely interacted with any of them. The extremely young boy had long black hair that reached just past his shoulders and always wore a traditional-style outfit. His eyes were a flat green, and his pupils always seemed contracted, giving off the illusion that he had none.

"Excuse me, I was ordered to look through all of the lockers—but if you have anything incriminating, you might as well fess up now and save me the trouble." The two woman only shook their heads, and watched him head to the row of lockers that that they, Rin and Kagura used. He opened the latter's first, and dumped almost everything out to the nearby trash bin.

"Oh no…" Yura mumbled, bringing her arms up around her. Sango had a similar somber expression, but her hands were in tights fists. They watched him until he went through each locker, but it appeared he found nothing of interest.

"A new girl is coming in, maybe tonight. She'll need guidance. And no, Kagura won't be returning." He left the room without a second glance.

"Another new girl so soon… What happened to Kagura?" Yura looked at the other woman.

"I don't know. I don't like this." Sango whispered, pursing her lips.

-:-

Rin cleaned the entire house.

When she awoke, her back was a mess from the position she slept in and her body was heavy, but she didn't want to properly rest. She wanted a distraction, so she cleaned and threw out and reorganized…

She even went into her father's room and threw most of everything out—she found a couple of handguns and rifles, a small bag of cocaine and a large bag of marijuana that she reported to the police, the keys to the wheel lock on her car, some of her mother's recipes in an old wooden recipe box, and an album of pictures of her father and mother before she was born—photos she had never seen before.

To most, cleaning out the things of the deceased the morning after would probably be much too soon, but the relationship with her father was far from conventional and she wanted anything from those dark times gone.

Currently, she sat in the backyard, right where the flames burned her money and her father had unintentionally killed himself. Rin had ripped out the scorched grass and hard soil, re-filled the gap with soft, fresh earth, and planted some white lilys—the flower her mother loved and that her father would give her every Sunday morning until she passed.

"Those are beautiful." Enju had stopped by again when the police returned to pick up the weapons and drugs. The woman was nice, but Rin had her uncertainties—it was simply too strange that she knew of the poisonous plant… "Do they mean anything?"

Rin stood from her crouched position, clapping away the dirt from her gloves before removing them. She nodded at the woman. Enju looked down at her cellphone and frowned, "I have to head to work. You'll be okay?" Rin nodded again, and escorted the woman out of her house.

Well, it wasn't technically her's just yet. Despite how close she was to legal age and that she was financially independent, she could not inherit that which her parents left behind just yet. The lawyer mentioned someone she didn't know, an old woman by the name of Kaede, who now held the title of the house and other things. The old woman lived out far the lawyer told her, where the city's skyline lowers till it disappears into fields of grass and trees that go on for miles.

The man was vague when disclosing the information to her, saying the old woman would be able to tell her how she was related to her family and she knew more specifics about the items that Emiko left that her father never bothered with. Rin could not even guess what things her mother left so far from the city, and in an old shrine of all places.

Rin looked up at the clock that stood in the living room; it was only one in the afternoon. She had called off work with no problem, and had no plans for the rest of the day… She absently rubbed the side of her arm, looking around the spotless house. What was she supposed to do now?

Maybe she'll try to hang out with Kagome, she hadn't properly spoken to her in such a long time... Anything but staying in the still silence of the empty home. She texted her friend only for her idea to get shot down. 'Ah, I can't right now! I have a meeting. Maybe a bit later? I'll text you when its over!' Rin read Kagome's response before closing the phone shut. Kagura was still MIA, and she knew Sango and Yura were working today. 'There's no one else... Maybe I'll drive around a bit.-'

A knock on the front door interrupted her thoughts. Opening the door revealed a bulky, tall man in an all black suit with red tie. Dark sunglasses shielded his eyes, "Are you Rin?" She nodded after a bit of hesitation, the man's voice was stern. "This is for you." He handed her a small white envelope. "You will be ready by the requested date and time. This is not optional." And he simply turned and walked away.

'That was rude... and strange.' Rin thought, shutting the door and quickly locking it. She fiddled with the sealed envelope before opting to rip the side open, pulling out an invitation. 'This looks familiar..' Sesshomaru had given something similar to her but this one was... this one was from Ryukotsusei.

-:-

**Later that week**

"God, I love it when Kuromaru kicks one of those jackasses out!" Yura exclaimed as she walked into the dressing room. Rin smiled at the woman before turning her attention back to packing her things. "Awe, you're off already?" Yura pouted, "I wish we could talk more... You know, all us girls should have a night out! Make others dance and serve for once! What do you think?"

Rin let out a soft giggle and nodded, she wouldn't mind hanging out with everyone—she had so much free time now... She went to her locker to check for anything she might be forgetting and was surprised to find a plain, yellow folder sitting on top of her things. Tentatively, she grabbed the folder which had a small note held by a paperclip that read 'Rin, please give this to Takahashi. I can't stop you from looking inside... but for your life, _don't_.'

She couldn't stop the gasp of surprise that left her, or her bewildered expression, 'Kagura? Kagura wrote this?'

"Something up, Rin?" She vaguely heard Yura's question and shoved the folder as best as she could in her small-ish purse. Rin flashed one more smile at Yura, ignoring her confused look.

"I am soooo sore." Kagome complained, distracting the girls in the room as she dropped herself on the sofa. "How have you guys been doing this?" The younger woman just shrugged a shoulder, her smile widening. It had been a few days since Kagome entered their ranks, she was still getting into the extra work! Having Kagome back was the best though. Sango, Yura, and her truly made what should have a completely bad situation into something almost... fun?

"You'll get used it!" Sango responded from the seat of her vanity, finishing up her makeup. Kagome made a move to get up, but her legs caved and she landed back on the couch.

"Owwww..." Rin walked over to her friend and offered her hands, helping Kagome up again. "I'm so glad my shift is done. I don't think my thighs and shoulders can take much more of this. Hey, you're done too, Rin? Want to grab something to eat? And I mean food, not ice cream!"

Rin pouted, then shook her head. "Oh, I seeee... you're meeting that guy today, aren't you?"

"Guy? What guy!?" Yura happened into the conversation just at that moment...

Kagome continued, "Oh, she's just been meeting some hot businessman over desserts for a couple of weeks and only JUST told me today!"

"Really? First I heard of this too..." Sango added, now all three women surrounding her. Rin just shrugged, not understanding what the deal was.

"So is he your boyfriend!?" Yura started first, grinning wide with excitement. Rin felt her cheeks heat up before she shook her head violently. Takahashi and her...? 'Yeah, right... I'm not his type.' She thought. "You're turning red! Are you lying, Rin!?" The hair demon exclaimed, and the human girl responded the same as before.

"Alright, you two, leave her alone. I'm sure she's dying to get back home anyway." Sango intervened, shooing the other two girls. 'Thank you!' Rin mentally exclaimed, before giving one last smile and wave to the woman before leaving the club.

Rin arrived home at record time before locking herself in her room, and sat on her bed with the folder in front of her. '… but your life, _don't_.' How.. How could she not open it with a warning like that? She was far too curious for her own good, and the note made it all the more tempting. 'It _can't_ be that bad.' What could Kagura be giving to Takahashi, just a businessman, that would be life-threatening?

And with that thought, she carefully opened the folder. The first page inside was a profile page of sorts... about Naraku. 'Why—Oh my... oh my god.' Under known aliases read: Kuromaru, Owner of SHIKON. Rin quickly began to fiddle through the papers, heart pounding in her chest. Floor plans and security routes of the SiLk Hotel which is rumored to be Naraku's main place, tunnels under the SHIKON, gang layouts across districts with names and personal info of what appears to be every high-ranking member, locations of weapons, drugs, pages and pages of financial information-'Why would Takahashi want or need this...?'

A knock at the front door boomed in the silence of her home, nearly making her jump down from her bed. She quickly hid the folder and the documents inside, composed herself, and made her way to open the front door. "You are not ready." That voice, out of all the people... She glared up at the dragon and made a move to slam the door in his face, but he, of course, stopped it. "Now, that's not nice." His palm pressed against the door, overpowering her quite easily and walked into her home.

Rin growled and shook her head, pointing outside. The dragon narrowed his eyes, "I believe you were informed you have no choice in this matter, with ample time to prepare for tonight. That is more courteous than my usual way of doing things, and far more than an ungrateful human like you deserves." She gritted her teeth together, hoping the fiery hate in her eyes was enough to make him burn, or _simply just leave_!

A young female youkai walked in, with her hands full of a white dress and cosmetics. "Is this the girl? ...I suppose she is pretty, for a human." The young demon sighed as she readjusted the load in her arms, "Now, where is your room? Unless you want to change in front of Master Ryukotsusei?"

A lecherous grin pulled the older dragon's lips, "That I would not mind." Rin let out a growl through her clenched teeth, shook her head and pointed to the door again. "If there is one thing I enjoy about humans is how easy it is to get them to do _anything_..." Her eyes widened at the blue lighting beginning to cackle around his clawed hand, "Should I start with your neighbor or the children across the street? Will you let the whole block die before agreeing to accompany me?"

'Sick, arrogant...' Rin's mind began listing off insults she wished she could say. 'He isn't bluffing.' Nor would she take the chance of challenging his threat either. She walked to the bedroom with the female youkai at her heels. The two were quiet as she undressed until the click of the front door closing sounded. "Here, put this on. I'm sure you'll look amazing in it." She slipped into the shiny, white dress and was surprised to find it was not so revealing or too sexy.

The dress was tight and hugged every curve, but stopped just at her knees not showing off too much of her legs. The long-sleeves covered her toned arms, but the off-shoulder style left her slim shoulders and neck exposed. She was expecting her cleavage out, a mini length, cut-outs—this dress didn't seem like his style.

The female youkai smiled when Rin met her emerald eyes, "Knew it!" Her face suddenly grew sober as she continued to speak, "Now listen to me. Where you are going... Its not safe, its not pleasant, and its a not a place a human woman goes. Not as a guest."

The youkai began working her hair into a soft bun, "Follow my advice, girl, and you might last the night. Do not make eye contact with anyone, do not speak unless spoken to. Do reject anyone's advances—aside from Ryukotsusei—and tell him if another youkai is trying to hit on you. You are his escort for the night, it is a great disrespect for anyone to try to touch you without his explicit permission."

'No one is touching me, especially him-'

"I know what you are thinking. Do not challenge him in a public place. Think of your life, human. You push too far with his most important partners and his greatest enemies around and he will dispose of you." The youkai began correcting any discoloration in her exposed skin with her concealer. "These little get-togethers do not last too long because all these men hate each other, so you only have to bear it for at the most 4 hours."

The woman sighed, moving on to eye shadow. "Why he picked you to escort him tonight, I don't know. Neither does anyone else. Ryukotsusei has a reason for every move he does, much like the rest of them, and it cannot be just to torment you. There are better ways to do that." 'She has a point.' Rin thought, shutting her eyes as the other woman worked on her.

"Have you caught the eye of an enemy of his, I wonder?" The female youkai asked as she pulled away, rummaging through her box for eyeliner. "None of his enemies care too much for humans though, except maybe Naraku." Rin stiffened at the name, remembering her boss and the crime lord are one in the same.

The youkai noticed, "If you are in between these men, that you are far out of anyone's reach for help... and in a perfect position to be abused. Trust _no one_ over there." She swiped a muted pink color on Rin's lips, balancing out the soft smokey eyes.

"Best pick the lesser of two evils, and hope they don't kill you after they get bored." Rin looked at the youkai, lost at how non-chalant, how accepting the youkai appeared to be about how this all worked. 'This... I can't do this!' The front door clicked open again, and they heard at knock at the bedroom door.

"Master says we got to go." A male voice said.

"She's ready, just got to pick up. Give us two minutes." The female youkai began picking up all her belongings, and locked up her cosmetic box. They walked out the bedroom after Rin grabbed a white clutch and her house keys. "Good luck, Rin." The youkai's emerald eyes almost looked sorry, but Rin did not notice.

Her mind was racing as she locked her door and let herself be escorted to a bright red roadster whose make she could not recognize right away. 'What am I doing?' She gave a side-ways glance to the driver, catching Ryukotsusei's eyes as they traveled down her frame. 'How am I going to get out of this?' Rin fought down the wetness in her eyes, 'Its not the time. I can't show him I'm afraid. I can't...' She swallowed hard, trying to gather herself. 'It's going to be okay... It's going to be okay...'

She bit back a gasp when the car shot forward, a bit surprised by the lack of noise coming from the engine. Rin glanced at the dragon's hand on something next to the shifter, he seemed to be electrifying it? 'Why would he...?' She exhaled a soft laugh, oblivious to the dragon's questioning gaze. 'He drives an electric car...' Why was that so funny to her right now, she didn't know.

-:-

The drive has been going on for 30 minutes, but it was thankfully silent and uneventful as the dragon seemed to be deeply absorbed in his thoughts.

"We are almost there." Rin just nodded, her eyes concentrated on the buildings they drove past. She was not entirely sure where they going, as she threw out his invitation just as fast as she got rid of Sesshomaru's. She noticed an old, but well-preserved building coming up, with a few crazy expensive cars parked in front. Ryukotsusei parked in the only empty spot left in front of the building, behind a black Nissan GT-R. She didn't wait for her door to be opened, stepping out of the car and mesmerized on the beauty of the tall building in front of her.

'Fantasia' it read in soft blue lights against a black panel, above the glass double doors. While only three floors high, the building appeared to extend far into the city block. With its large windows, the amount of detail on the top and bottom of the columns, the statue angels that rested near the roof—it reminded her of a building in Paris she had wanted to visit... She was busy examining the details of one of the nearby artworks before the dragon's arm around her's interrupted her thoughts. "It is time to head inside."

Rin merely nodded, allowing the daiyoukai to lead her into the building. 'He is too close.' She thought, wanting to put a good 4 feet between them, at the least. But she remembered the youkai woman's words as she glanced around at the crowd. 'Embarrass him, and you're dead.'

Her attention shifted to the cathedral ceiling, the classic artworks on the walls, and the hand-painted ceramic that lined the floor. The dragon greeted a couple of people in passing, before entering the courtyard. Rin kept her gaze on the manicured green grass as the dragon briefly spoke to a couple in front of them.

"A human on your arm, Ryukotsusei? Is the sky about to fall?" Rin glanced at the dragon's face, and noticed a tinge of annoyance. They were going to get a lot of those comments tonight, she knew.

"They are much more bearable when they cannot not speak." Ryukotsusei replied, "Now, I must get some business over with." The daiyoukai glided across the courtyard as he ignored Rin's glare, honing in on a small group gathered at a table near the large fountain at the southwest corner of the courtyard.

"Well, what a surprise." Rin barely noticed Naraku. Her gaze was trapped in the frigid gold of the man she met not too long ago. He looked as perfect as the last time she saw him—his midnight blue suit without a wrinkle, immaculate white shirt, shoes polished to shine, and a navy grenadine tie. His silver hair spilled over his shoulders and the back of his chair, appearing to shimmer moonlight. He was so beautiful, Rin was almost jealous.

"It is not polite to stare, you two." The dragon's teasing voice made her snap back to reality. "Now, why don't you ladies go out and get us some more drinks?" The female who sat next to Naraku made a face, but stood any way. It appeared Sesshomaru did not have a date for tonight, as it was suppose to be her... She mentally sighed, 'No, not me. I'm not even suppose to be here.'

Rin followed the older woman away from the table to the mini bar set up on the other side of the fountain. "So..." The woman started, "Who the hell are you?" Rin blinked and looked at her, but could not say anything. She took it the wrong way. "Oh, I see. Too high riding that dragon to answer me."

Rin shook her head and waved her hands in front of her, 'That's not it!' She pointed to her throat and shook her head, hoping she conveyed the right message. The woman narrowed her eyes for a bit, before asking,

"Are you that Rin girl I've been hearing about? That human, the mute one. That's you?"

'What does she mean by 'hearing about me'? Who would be talking about me in their world?' Rin nodded.

"Tch, I don't believe this. There are demonesses far more beautiful than you, you act chaste, and you certainly don't look like you can fight." The older woman snorted, "And by the way you so blatantly looked at Lord Sesshomaru of all people shows me you have absolutely no idea what the hell you are doing." Rin looked down at the ground for a bit, letting the woman's harsh words sink in. "You don't belong here." She was right, echoing the words of another mafia lord, and Rin simply nodded again.

"But those fuckers drag anyone in. They love breaking people, no matter how innocent or twisted." Rin looked up at the woman's red eyes, questioning. "What?-Oh for god's sake. Do you have some paper and pen around?" She asked the bartender, "And I need a refill on Naraku's and Sesshomaru's drink, and one for Ryukotsusei. The usual." The bartender hurried on completing her orders, first placing a little pad with a pen in front of her before preparing the drinks.

'I didn't catch your name.' Rin wrote.

"And I'm going to need a double shot of whatever the strongest thing you got." The woman redirected her attention back to her, "My name is Abi. I suggest you take something here now while you got the chance, take the edge off. You are here to indirectly piss someone off, you _must_ be because that is all that damn dragon loves doing and I don't see how you can be useful in any other way. You might not want to remember this night."

'Tequila.' Rin wrote, she wasn't going to get blackout drunk, but a shot or two will help her nerves—she hoped. Might make sitting in between the dragon and Sesshomaru for the next few hours a lot easier as well. "Did you hear the lady?! She wants a shot!" 'This youkai is strange.' Rin thought, she seemed to be bouncing around from being helpful to rude and hostile.

She began to write, 'Do you usually attend these meetings?'

"Unfortunately, yes. In case you haven't noticed yet since your eyes have probably been glued to the floor this whole time, this courtyard is filled with youkai. We got corrupt politicians, immoral businessman, and damned mafia lords—all chit-chatting their plans for domination today." Abi took her shot the moment the bartender placed it down.

"Me being a prominent figure in aviation, designing state-of-the-art aircraft and air-to-air weapons, got all tangled up in this mess when Naraku took over the region where the company I worked for is located. They bent over to him pretty quickly, and when I didn't, he threatened to pull the plug on my mother's life support. Damn spider owns the hospitals too. Now I'm stuck working for him until I find a way to get my mother out of this country."

'That's terrible, I'm so sorry...' Rin wrote, a frown pulling down the corners of her lips.

"I'd ask your story, but I'm not waiting around for you to write paragraphs. Besides, they _might_ have actually noticed we are taking our sweet time." Rin took that as a cue to down her shot, before she helped Abi by grabbing Ryukotsusei's drink. "Here, take the dog's also. Piss the dragon off a bit. There are few things in this world that make him angrier than Sesshomaru."

Rin smiled at the youkai before following her back at the table. She set down Ryukotsusei's drink, and made sure to flash a smile to Sesshomaru before putting down his. Once she sat, the dragon put his arm around her shoulders and brought her close.

"Careful..." He whispered the soft warning in her ear, before continuing to speak to the other men. "Is Kouga not joining us tonight?"

"I believe he is still stateside." Naraku replied.

The dragon sipped his drink, "Still? How foolish to leave his territory for so long... So tempting."

"The only foolish act would be to break the accord, Ryukotsusei." Sesshomaru responded, a veiled threat in his words.

"As if I would do such a thing." The dragon said, trying to appear offended. "But the spider here seems to have no trouble burrowing his way through any loopholes..."

"Throwing baseless accusations already?" The hanyou hissed, red eyes narrowed.

"A lieutenant of mine dies by your plant, you find out _immediately_ after the fact, and sweep a district from right under me."

"I heard it was a suicide."

"It sounds like a direct violation of our agreement." Ryukotsusei growled, his clear green eyes flashed a dangerous red. 'They are talking about... my father...' Rin's eyes were wide in shock, 'He... he did this on purpose?'

"It is hardly my fault one of your men decided to-what was it?-smoke a poisonous plant, and our agreement says nothing of taking over current contested territories, which is what that district was when I so easily gained control of it."

"Is that so, Naraku?" Ryukotsusei asked, before turning his gaze to Rin. "Rin, perhaps you can shed some light on this situation." She tensed up, screaming in her head, 'No, no, no. Don't bring me into this. Don't bring me into this!' "As the man in question is your father-" She noted the sparks of surprise flicker in Abi's and Sesshomaru's eyes—and the lack of them in Naraku's. "-and you were present at the time of his death... Did he intentionally end his life or was this poison planted in his home?"

They were all staring at her now but Naraku's gaze was the worst, the promised death in this blood red eyes chilled to her very core. 'What do I do!?' She tried to calm her racing heart, 'My response could have major consequences on either of them?' As much as she would love to throw Ryukotsusei under the bus, she couldn't stand for how Naraku blatantly used her _and she didn't see it._

Rin looked to Sesshomaru for some help. Why she did, she didn't know. Maybe because he isn't directly involved in this. Maybe because she knew less of him, so he seemed better than them.. but the amber gaze yielded nothing for her.

She swallowed hard, 'A yes or no... both will make an enemy of someone here tonight... And... the truth, the truth would be best, right?' God, she wanted to gag. 'But what would Naraku do if I snitched? Will I end up disappearing like Kagura? He still has to keep up his human identity around me, doesn't he?' She pursed her lips, coming to a decision. He killed her father. He killed her father for some city blocks and _used her_ to do it. She can't let him get away with that.

Rin wrote softly, 'He did not mean to kill himself. He was not suicidal.' and kept her gaze on the glass table. She did not need to see Naraku's face to feel his rage, nor did she need to look at the dragon to feel his victorious smile. "The lies of your human whore hold no water here, Ryukotsusei." The spider hissed through clenched teeth.

"Lies?" Ryukotsusei smirked, the clawed hand near her shoulders gripped her chin to force her gaze up to the man across from her. "Look at this face. Its the face of innocence, not of a liar. This little human has nothing to gain in this little conversation of ours, but you, Naraku..." He let go of her. "You did. As far as I am concerned, this agreement, between you and I at the very least, has been violated and I will be taking what is mine's back."

Frustrated, the spider turned to the quiet dog youkai who looked a bit bored in Rin's opinion, "And you have nothing to say about this?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, "Do not turn to me, hanyou. You have no ally here." Naraku ended leaving then with Abi, even her dull, human senses saw the way this youki cackled around him in a rampage.

"See now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" The dragon asked, turning his attention back to her. Rin gave him a flat look, not willing to offer anything else. 'Restroom.' She wrote before getting up and making her way to there. She growled under breath when one of attendees got in her way, far too annoyed to deal with anyone else.

"You are here with the dragon, correct? His plaything for the night." 'Plaything?!' The complete lack of respect these people showed to others, while at the same time cowering in the eyes of mafia lords, was mind-boggling. Rin glared up the feminine man who she didn't recognize at all. His red eyes flared, he did not like the 'disrespect'. "Learn your-"

"Is there a problem, Kyora?" Rin nearly jumped when the dragon materialized out of nowhere. The red-headed daiyoukai coolly replied,

"Your date is rather disrespectful, Ryukotsusei. Your taste in women has fallen quite far."

"Is that so?" The dragon looked at her, "I find that hard to believe." She nearly gagged another time, was he defending her?! "The most she could muster is a hard look, though I don't see how any one can take it seriously." 'No, no he isn't. Thank god.'

"Nonetheless, she should keep her eyes to the floor. The dirt is the only thing her gaze is worthy of meeting." Rin felt her teeth grind together, she was not going to just stand here and listen to this man. She brushed past him, ignoring the disgusted look on this face. The human heard some commotion behind her, but didn't care to look.

Curiosity had got the better of her though. Once she reached the bathroom door, she gave one quick glance over her shoulder and saw the two daiyoukai in a heated exchange. She didn't understand the words, it was not a language she even recognized... but the flashing red eyes and the youki cackling in the air was enough for her to hurriedly retreat into the washroom.

-:-

They had spent another hour or two mingling, Rin bored out of her mind as she hanged unwillingly from the dragon's arm. She felt dirty in this place, and began to resent the world as the more people she recognized. The mayor, some faces she could have sworn were people on the city council, a few officers she knew from the clubs, and even heard one person being addressed as if they were military.

It was... disgusting. These men and women had sworn to serve the people... but they were only serving themselves, at the expense of those they were suppose to protect. What would drive someone to do something like that?

"Of course, Lord Ryukotsusei. Anything for the dragon clan. Let me know when you would like to proceed." Rin didn't know who he was talking to, just another youkai kissing his butt. There was a lot of that going on. No wonder the dragon's ego was so large. There was not a single person here refusing him—the daiyoukai by the bathroom, and the other Lords appeared to be the only ones who dared talking back to him. Though she hasn't seen that Kyora again at all, she briefly wondered what happened to him.

"What a pretty little thing. Where did you find her, Lord Ryukotsusei?" God, if she was referred as a thing one more time... She was a _person_! She fights, bleeds, and feels like they do. Rin ignored the chattering men as her eyes scanned the courtyard, finding the other head of silver by the fountain. Sesshomaru appeared to be much colder and stand-offish to the other attendees than Ryukotsusei, who was almost... charming... to those he spoke to.

Of course, that meant nothing. Ryukotsusei was a ruthless, no matter how smoothly he tried to speak. Though he was convincing, she had not forgotten that he _threatened to kill a bunch of children_ just to get her to come with him. Were they all without morals?

The human didn't realize how long she was staring until the dragon whispered in her ear, "See something you like?" She shivered when his breath hit her, out of disgust more than anything. "You appear to have some fascination with him... The smiles and the glances..." His tone turned ugly... quick. "Did he fuck you so well that night?" Rin bit back a yelp at the clawed hand that gripped her upper arm with great force. That was going to bruise if he held it, she knew... "Don't forget you are here with me, girl. Not that pretentious dog." He let her go, then an odd look crossed his face before he turned to her again. "Go to him."

'What?!' Rin thought, genuinely hoping her face convened just how confused she was at the moment. 'Did he not _just_ say-'

"I will not repeat myself. I will collect you soon enough." And he just began walking away, leaving her in the middle of the crowd. 'What the...?' It wasn't long before she noticed some glances in her direction, eyes trailing up and down her body—either sizing her up, checking her out, or, god, maybe eat her?

'Seriously!?' The youkai woman that dressed her earlier was not exaggerating. How quickly the youkai in the vicinity turned their attention to her once the threat of Ryukotsusei was gone. She grabbed a drink from one of the passing waiters, before she made her way to Sesshomaru, her pace quicker than usual. Rin hoped the staring would stop, but then she would just be next to another highly dangerous man. 'I'm not safe anywhere here.' She growled in frustration, 'I just want to leave!'

Her displeasure must have been clear on her face as when she reached the dog demon, he plainly asked, "Are you enjoying yourself, Rin?"

Rin gave him a flat, annoyed look that didn't last long. She was exhausted already and it had only been a couple of hours. Ryukotsusei's constant threats, Naraku's enraged look towards her still lingering in the back of her mind, the snide remarks of her race and condition... Eyes downcast, she softly shook her head. 'I want to go home...' The human thought, before taking down her entire drink in one go.

"Why are you here with Ryukotsusei?" She sighed, before pulling out her handy-dandy paper and pen.

'I don't want to be here. He forced me along.' Rin wrote. The daiyoukai scanned the people behind her before continuing,

"Did he send you here?" Rin nodded slowly, not sure what would be the 'appropriate' answer.

"Do you know why?" She shook her head. 'Don't know, don't care.' She thought, 'Just want to get out of here.'

"Come with me." 'Crap.' Rin thought, reluctantly following the daiyoukai. Why did Ryukotsusei send her over here? Was she suppose to follow him? Her nervousness increased when she realized he was leading out of the packed courtyard and back inside, where only a few people—mostly workers—were scattered about.

'Where are we going?' She wrote, then held up as she strode next to him. He glanced at her,

"Nowhere. I simply grew tired of being around those people." Rin tilted her head in confusion, wanting to ask why did he believe he was any different than those people... but she had this nagging feeling that wouldn't go over well. They walked in a more comfortable silence this time, as Rin was able to appreciate the artworks that decorated the walls.

'This is... better...' She thought. He wasn't all... touchy like Ryukotsusei, who had his arm around her the whole time or his hand somewhere. He wasn't chatty, which made things way too quiet, but at the same time meant he wasn't making any disparaging comments towards her. He didn't seem to care about stopping when she wanted to take a closer look at a painting or sculpture.

It was almost nice, if she had known she would have stuck coming to this party any way, Sesshomaru was clearer the better 'choice'... But the anxiety crept back up when it felt she had been gone for too long.

'It's been awhile. Won't he get mad?' Rin wrote, with a frown darkening her features.

"Perhaps." 'Well, great.' She thought, exhaling as she wrote again,

'You don't care?'

The daiyoukai merely raised any eyebrow, as if the question was utterly ridiculous. It probably was. 'Of course he doesn't care, Rin. He is a daiyoukai just like him!' She thought, 'He doesn't have to worry about him like that.'

"He is coming." The daiyoukai warned her, and Rin swallowed hard, steeling herself for whatever was going to happen. She hoped nothing. There is no reason for anything to happen!

"Ah, Rin, there you are. Stealing away my date for the evening, Sesshomaru?" Well, he at least did not sound angry.

"Hardly." The dog demon responded, his tone seemed icier than usual.

"Oh? Not interested at all?" Ryukotsusei slipped his arm around her waist again, and Rin curled her hands into fists, shaking.

"I am not so depraved." The dog demon began to walk off, "I am done babysitting for the evening." Rin visibly flinched at Sesshomaru's response, her gaze dropping to the floor. She made a mistake. Just because the dog demon wasn't as vocal as Ryukotsusei, didn't mean he thought more of her. When Sesshomaru left the room, the dragon spoke again to her.

"Well, that was rude, don't you think?" Ryukotsusei asked before he began walking. "Such a shame, I thought there was something there..." She didn't know what he was talking about, but Rin thanked the gods when Ryukotsusei finally began to make his way to the exit.

"I do not enjoy these events." The dragon said once they were seated in his roadster, "They are set up by others trying to find lies, secrets, blackmail as they laugh and drink—playing 'the game' they call it." Was... Is he... Is he just casually talking to her? "Some of us are not so cowardly." Rin just nodded, unsure of what to say or do. "They would have been dead long ago if it had been my way..."

'Ah, okay... Stop.' The human thought, playing with the hem of her dress to distract herself from her unease. 'Of course murder is part of his small talk!' There was a small, uncomfortable silence before the dragon spoke again.

"Why did you tell the truth?" Rin blinked hard at the question, before giving him a confused look. "You could have lied, and given Naraku's words more weight, making me appear as the one who is wrong. Something I would imagine you would love to do."

'He killed my father. I don't like lying.' Rin wrote.

"Hm." Was all the dragon said. They hit the road in silence, until they were about 5 minutes away from her house. "There is something I need to discuss with you."

'Oh god, what else?' She thought, biting her bottom lip. 'What else could he want?'

"It has to do with... your mother, her family. They—now you—have something that belongs to me, that belongs to _my_ family." Ryukotsusei appeared to be holding back some anger. 'Why would my family have anything belonging to a dragon clan?' But she remembered back to when she first saw Ryukotsusei as a little girl, saying the same to her mother... "I want it back."

'I don't know what you are talking about.' Rin wrote, hoping he didn't take it the wrong way and think she was lying. Even if she had known, if her mother was against giving it to him... It was probably something he shouldn't have in the first place!

"I know, but you will. Soon. When you see it, you will know. Return it to me..." He parked the car in the driveway. "And I'll get you somewhere where Naraku can't reach, and you will never see me again. Just peace." His gaze locked with hers, the dragon leaned closer to her face, inches away. "Don't make me hunt you down, Rin." His pale hand made its way to her throat and gave a light squeeze, a claw lightly punctured her delicate skin. "Don't let it come to that. You will not survive." He tilted his head, his gaze giving off a dangerous gleam. "Understand?"

Rin nodded softly, afraid to move too much due to his nearness as her right hand quietly searched for the door handle. She watched his stare lower to her painted lips. Something dark clouded the crystal green, an emotion she saw far too many times on the stage—but this was not the stage, this was his car, her driveway, her house and _no one else_. 'Let me go, let me go...' She prayed, not being able to escape with the lethal claws around her neck.

She involuntarily whimpered when he inched closer and the claws squeezed once more, a feeling of helplessness creeping on her as a drop of her blood traveled down her neck. A feeling she thought she would no longer have to deal with.

Abruptly, his eyes began to flood crimson, roughly slamming her back against the car door when he let go, sneering-"Get. Out." Rin practically jumped out of the car, relieved when the dragon took no time in speeding away. Letting out a breath she didn't realize she was holding as she tried to control her shaking body, one hand coming up where the dragon's was moments before.

She was tired of this. Her father was gone, because a spider wanted some land, and she was still being abused, ordered, and insulted. Now, Ryukotsusei wanted something from her... what if it was something he couldn't have? Why else would her mother deny him? That meant this had no end. He is always going to be there. And Naraku will still likely get away with what he'd done. 'Unless...' As she wiped the droplet of blood with the back of her hand, 'I do something...' Thinking back to the folder that sat in her bedroom, Rin realized she desperately needed one thing right now.

Ice cream.

**End of Chapter 6**


	7. Summertime Sadness

POISON | Love Her

**Chapter 7**

Summertime Sadness

'Thoughts/Rin's writing'

_Flashbacks_

Original Publish Date: 2/12/2016

Takahashi watched her every move when the mute girl entered the ice cream shop. 'How predictable.' But she appeared a bit shaken, paranoid even, with the way her eyes darted around the ice cream parlor and her purse clutched close to her chest. Still, she failed to make eye contact with him until after she ordered, her posture relaxing just a bit before she sat across from him. There was no happy wave or dazzling smile. Her eyes were glued to the dessert cup, spoon picking at the frozen dairy while she chewed her bottom lip.

Did the event shake her so much? It could have been far worse for her. Though he did not know what transpired between her and the dragon afterward. It was none of his business, he particularly didn't care... but... "You are acting strange." She may have learned something useful, and she may be willing to tell someone 'outside' of it all.

Rin blinked up at him, then sighed before grabbing her purse and pulling out a folder, placing it in front of him. He didn't need to open it, the handwriting on the note told him who it was from and what it most likely contained. Why did Rin have it, was the question. "Did you read it?"

She hesitated, before she gave a slow nod. 'Foolish girl.' He thought, slipping the folder in the briefcase beside him. "When?"

She dragged the usual pen and paper from her bag, 'In the afternoon. It was in my locker. I don't know who put it there.'

"Hm... Is that all?" He asked. His sharp eyes noticed the small, thin cut on her neck, mostly like done by a claw .

She pursed her lips, then sighed. Her expression told him she was fighting with some sort of decision, he hoped she'd make the right one. Rin's face suddenly hardened, before writing more, 'If you are trying to take him down, I want in.'

Takahashi blinked in shock, his thin eyebrows raised. He was not expecting that, 'Though if Naraku was responsible for her father's death, I suppose it is not too surprising.' He studied her face, gone was the unsureness and fear. Her lips were pulled into an angry frown, eyes narrowed and brows tight with determination. It was strange to see, quite different from her usual expressions.

She didn't know what she asking, he knew that much. She most likely believed he was going to the authorities, or working with them in some way... but he wasn't going to bring Naraku to 'justice' or anything of the sort. He was going to take everything the spider claimed, and then kill him. Of course, a regular civilian, what Rin thought he was, wouldn't dream of doing such a thing.

The human was dragging herself deeper into this, why? For the death of a man who abused her when his job was to protect her? His jaw tightened, 'What does it matter?' He needed someone else inside, she was a prime, and now willing, candidate. But would she be so inclined if she knew who exactly he was? 'She doesn't have to know. The less she does, the better.'

"Very well. We will speak on that later, not here." The human girl nodded, then smiled with _that_ smile for second time tonight _for him_. And for the second time, it made his slow, youkai heart beat a little faster.

He despised it.

-:-

Kagome wiped the sweat from her forehead, letting out an air of relief that her sweeping was finally done. The afternoon was hot, and the sun unforgiving with its rays baring down on the small little shrine. She quickly headed back inside, desperate for a cold drink. "Anything else you need done, Kaede?" Kagome called, as she grabbed a glass of iced tea.

"Rest, child, the rest of the chores can wait." The elder woman responded, making her way carefully down the flight of stairs.

"I have to go to wo—school—soon. I don't want to leave anything unfinished!" Kagome said after taking a nice, long drink.

"Hmm..." The elder stood next to her, "Do not worry about it, Kagome. I can do the rest—Though, if ye can retrieve the black and gold box in the far right corner of the storage room... Its under quite a few things-"

"Sure, of course! I'll go get it. You want it in here?" The elder nodded softly and the younger woman quickly downed the rest of the glass before making her way quickly to the outside shed. She hummed softly as she walked towards the back, brown eyes darting around the corner to find-'There it is!... Ugh. Kaede was not kidding.' The box was on the floor... with about 20 other items stacked on top.

'Better than reciting a bunch of ancient scriptures over and over...' She thought, grabbing a ladder to start bringing down the stack. After a few coughing fits due to the insane amount of dust, she reached the wooden box and couldn't help the curiosity that began to nag her. Something about it appeared antique—and the golden dragons and foreign characters she could not read that covered the midnight black wood seemed to shine like real gold.

She grabbed one of the handles on the side, pulling it out of the corner and into the light. Kagome was shocked at how light the box felt, it was as if nothing was inside? She glanced back to the shed door and bit her lip. 'A peek won't hurt!' The box had a simple locking latch—nothing more. But when she made the move to open the lid, she felt something... powerful, dark, terrifying. The lid suddenly felt as if it weighed a ton, nearly catching her hands when she let it go. 'What in the world...?'

"I did not say open it."

Kagome jumped to her feet at Kaede's voice, "I—But—Ahh... I know. I'm sorry, Kaede." She turned her attention back to the container, "What's in there?"

"A source of old power, one you are not meant to trifle with. Ye have enough to worry about."

"But its just... in there. No special locks, nothing?" Kagome asked, puzzled.

"Were ye able to open it?"

"Ah, no, but-"

"Then the seal is still functional. The one who must bare the burden of that particular item will join us soon, which why I sent ye to retrieve it." Kagome nodded, before squatting down to pick up the box which had already returned to its nearly feather-light state.

"Is she a miko like me?" Kagome asked as she followed Kaede back inside the main shrine.

"No. Though she must be around your age now..."

"Oh, great!-But if she is not a miko, why...?"

"It is complicated." Kaede responded simply, ending that conversation there. "Thank you for your help today, Kagome. Will I see you again tomorrow for training?"

"Yes ma'am!" Kagome exclaimed with a wide grin.

Kaede chuckled, "Very well, off you go then. I'm sure you have much to do."

-:-

Rin stared at her closet. She has been for awhile now, never having such a hard time on figuring out what in the world to wear. Today, Takahashi was picking her up to discuss Naraku. She should just wear something comfortable, right? They are just going... somewhere to talk. She never asked where, not smart, she knew, but he was okay. She didn't have to worry about him... right?

Rin swallowed the lump in her throat, anxiety creeping up on her fast. 'Stop it. Of course, I don't. Kagura trusted him, and no doubt Sango would have chased him down if he was bad news...' She closed her eyes and just breathed for a moment, trying to chase the doubts away. 'Maybe one of my dresses, its a bit hot outside.' She thought, grabbing a pale yellow sun dress. She ignored the slight shake in her hands as she slipped into the clothing, smoothing out any wrinkles.

The young woman frowned down at the cloth, it had been while since she wore this particular dress as it reminded her of one her mother used to wear often. With it being a spaghetti-strap, the amount of make-up it took usually was not worth the trouble, but now... She looked up at her reflection in the large, long mirror hanging on the back of the closet door, and began to absently touch her neck and upper arms.

No black, blue, purple. Nothing. Free of marks-'And its going to stay that way. It has to.' She tried blinking back the tears that lingered on the corners of her eyes. 'Rin, relax. Nothing is wrong. Not anymore...' Her mind argued that the dragon and Naraku were still _pretty outstanding_ problems. She had no defense for that, they very much were but with Takahashi, she could maybe at least deal with of them.

'Or take the dragon's deal and be done with both... No, no, no. That's not an option. Whatever he wants, it can't be good.' Rin shook her head violently, she was getting distracted! She needed to get ready—and the doorbell. 'Crap.' She ran over to the front door, and opened it, smiling up brightly at the tall business man on her doorstep, hoping her doubts and fear were gone from her expression.

"You are not ready." The young woman scratched the back of her head, looking down at her bare feet. She felt the blush of embarrassment heating her cheeks, she had _so_ much time to prepare... Rin opened the door fully, gesturing him to enter. "Be quick." He ordered once inside. She just nodded and darted back into her room for some shoes. The young woman readied herself in a few minutes and was in the stoic man's expensive automobile, heading towards a still unknown destination.

Rin took out a tablet—yes, she has finally upgraded!—and opened up a text-to-speech program. This was also much, much safer for the ones driving her! She began typing, 'Hi! How has your day been?' and the tablet spoke the words out loud. Rin knew she was just going to get a vague and generic answer from him, she just really wanted to mess with the tablet.

"Uneventful." Takahashi glanced at her, "When did you get that?"

Rin smiled, typing, "Only a few days ago. Haven't gotten around to using it much yet!"

"You cannot bring that inside the building we are entering."

Rin gave him an exasperated look, "Seriously!?" Unfortunately, the tablet did not convey her annoyance accurately. The small twitch she caught in the corner of Takahashi's lips, however, told her that her face certainly did.

"Yes."

Rin sighed, then pouted. She really wanted to use it today... "Why can't I?"

"Security." It wasn't going to get more detailed than that. She quietly enjoyed the rest of the ride, though began to grow a bit tense when she realized she had no idea what part of town she was in. "We are almost there." His eyes lingered on her a bit longer than usual, perhaps noticing her nervousness.

She needed to relax, again, she didn't want to appear vulnerable. They were deep in the concrete jungle of a not-so-nice-looking area. He turned into the garage of a dilapidated building. Once out, she stayed close to him as they walked towards the entrance, not liking how quiet and broken everything looked... until they got inside.

'What...' Rin began to look around in awe. The interior of the building was sleek, modern, impossibly clean, bright; completely opposite from its outside look. There were only a handful of people around, sitting by large, black desks, either on the phone or working on their desktops. They all nodded or bowed in greeting to Takahashi as he walked passed, paying no mind to them. They entered a room in the back, 'His office, probably...' she thought as he gestured her to sit by the single large desk in the room.

The young woman instinctively grabbed the paper pad and pen nearby, 'What is this place?'

"Where Naraku will be finally brought down, if you still wish to join that is..."

Rin nodded, she was sure of that. She _had_ to be. 'What do you need me to do?'

-:-

**3 days later**

"Bankotsu, it has been some time since your last visit." Kuromaru greeted, a polite smile on his lips. Rin didn't know who Bankotsu was—Sango and Yura were not on shift yet, and it was just Kagome and her—but she knew he was one of the 'important ones'. Kuromaru only bothered personally greeting the 'important ones'. She just wished she didn't have to have her arm around Kuromaru's-'Or should I say, Naraku!'-at the moment. "Alone tonight?"

"Yeah, just me. Planning a huge event, need some girls and no one else has better women than SHIKON, right?" That was Rin's cue to give him a nice, big smile for the 'compliment' ...and she did as Kuromaru replied back,

"Of course. Come with me, we will talk in our office. Ladies, you may continue out here." They both gave him a quick nod, before walking in the opposite direction of the two men.

"Who was that?" Kagome mumbled softly towards Rin, who just shrugged in response. "Gonna have to ask Sango later... she knows so much about everyone. Sometimes I wonder how..."

"LADIES!"

"Oh no, here we go..." Kagome muttered, half-annoyed. Rin smiled at the young man that approached them, his purple eyes glinting mischievously as usual. She wasn't sure what the man, named Miroku, did outside of visiting the club. If Rin remembered correctly, he was involved with food in some way...

"Oh, Kagome, your expression pains me so. I only wished to have a quick chat with two of the four most beautiful women this side of the world..." He really wasn't so bad. He never asked for dances or anything, which usually would be a bit annoying as time wasted is money lost... But he was nice, seemed to have no ulterior motive during the conversations that he made sure to keep short.

"Mhmm..." Kagome replied back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sango isn't around, if that's what you want." Sango was his thing, he absolutely _adored_ her. Though Sango thought he was just an annoying pervert..

"Ah, such a shame. I wished to see her one last time before my trip..." Rin gave him a curious look and caught it, "To a small town up north. But do not fret, I will not be gone for more than a couple of weeks." A group of men began getting loud not too far behind him. "Ah, well, I see I must let you both go. It was nice to see you both again. Goodbye, till next time." He ended the conversation with this handsome smile, before running off.

Kagome sighed, "Ready?" Rin frowned a bit at her friend, who appeared much more tired than usual... "I'm fine, Rin. Just wish I got more sleep." She nodded hesitantly at her before the two made their way to the rowdy, loud men.

"There they are! Its this guy's birthday here..." Rin tuned him out, eyes zeroed in on the brown gaze of the man whose hair was being ruffled. 'Kohaku...?' The young man's eyes trailing down her figure before meeting her gaze again, face flushed red.

"R-Rin?"

"You know her!? This whole time! Holding out on us..." His friends teased, not noticing how embarrassed Kohaku was... or her tense posture. She hadn't seen him at The Whole Scoop the past few times she visited, she never thought she would encounter him in a place like... this. He was probably thinking the same. 'Not the innocent, quiet girl you thought I was, Kohaku...' Rin thought sadly, wondering what must be going through his mind.

She shook the negative thoughts out of head, she was on the job... and frankly, he had no right to judge her as he was in here in the first place... right? Rin tried her best to smile, ignoring Kagome's worried glance. 'Let's just do this, Kagome, please.' She thought, biting her bottom lip as she ran a hand through Kohaku's fluffy hair before letting out a girlish giggle at his forever-reddening face. 'Just a few dances, its not a big deal-

"How adorable." 'No... no, no, no. Not now.' Rin neglected the dragon's voice and his approaching steps. Not that it ever worked to just ignore him... Unfortunately, the rest of the group was easily provoked.

"Hey man, wait your turn." "Get out of here!" "Guys, shut up!" "Don't you know who that is?!" "Relax." "I don't give a fuck!" Ryukotsusei, thankfully, ignored them.

"Aw, Rin, the cold shoulder. Why? I thought we had a wonderful time last week." Kagome shot her another concerned glance, but Rin's full attention was on the daiyoukai now, chocolate eyes flat and annoyed. A 'wonderful time' was a grand exaggeration.

"Leave her alone." Rin paled when Kohaku stood in-between them, a few mummers of "What are you doing!?" said from some of his smarter friends.

"You looked so sweet to him earlier, Rin, is he a friend? Boyfriend? Plaything?" Ryukotsusei's eyes did not leave her's. She had no idea what the dragon was doing or why, but, gods, did Kohaku need to get the hell out of the way.

"Hey, I said leave her alone!" He tried to shove the daiyoukai, but Rin knew from experience that is much, much easier said than done. The dragon didn't budge an inch but he finally got the attention of those unnerving glass-emerald eyes.

"Or what, mortal?" Ryukotsusei taunted, a flash of red passed his iris. Rin grabbed Kohaku's arm before he could reply back, getting his attention. This is was getting too heated. She shook her head at him, and quickly got in front of the dragon. She tried not to gag as she grabbed his hand and began to pull him towards the stairs. The dragon must be in a bad mood today, and she wasn't going to let him hurt anyone, no matter what. She couldn't have that.

He smirked, unable to help himself. "See, boy... The highest bidder gets time with her. Remember that the next time you put yourself in danger for a paid woman." Rin ignored Kohaku's confused look, but it was harder to ignore the disappointment in his eyes. He didn't understand. He didn't get what she was doing. She was saving him, maybe. She couldn't control the dragon outside these walls. 'Or in them, really...' The young woman gave a quick glance to her friend, Kagome answered with a barely-visible nod before silently running off for help.

As Rin continued to lead the dragon to the private rooms, she wondered if help was really any better, considering the help would be Kuromaru/Naraku. 'Lesser of two evils...' Was he even that? 'Crap... What am I doing?!' Her heart was pounding as she slid open the door, letting the daiyoukai in the dimly-lit room. She made a move for the lights, but his voice stopped her. "No, leave it."

When she made a move to for the stage, he grabbed her arm. "Where are you going?" Rin gave him a confused look, then pointed to the small stage. 'Where else?' A smirk twisted his lips, and the other hand that moved to her face, cupping her cheek, had her heart sinking. "No, sweet Rin, that's not what I am here for." She swallowed thickly, before tilting her head to the side in confusion. 'You aren't getting anything else here...' The thought of courage didn't do much for her fear.

"I felt it. The orb. You've seen it..." Now, she was legitimately confused. Her brows scrunched together, shaking her head. She hasn't seen anything...? But that pissed him off, the hand that was soft now gripped her entire lower jaw. " **I. Felt. It.** " Each word had his claws sink slowly into her skin. "Where is it?!"

'I don't know what you are talking about!' She wished she could yell, but she could only hold back the whimpers of pain as his grip was too strong to shake her head. A deep growl erupted from the daiyoukai's chest before the hand on her face turned and slapped her hard, bringing her to the floor. Rin fought against her tears and the trails of hot pain his claws left, 'Not again... no. No...'

A click brought Rin's gaze back up to the dragon, who was standing still and looking beyond angry with red having taken over the whites of his eyes. 'Sango...?' The woman stood behind him with a pistol, its barrel held against the dragon's skull. 'How did she...?' "You crossed the line, Ryukotsusei. Naraku isn't going to happy about that."

"Hmm, what makes you think you'll have time to pull the trigger before I turn and rip your pretty little throat out?"

"Want to take that chance?" Sango replied, unwavering. Rin could only stare in shock, nearly forgetting the mark on her face. How was she able to sneak up on him? She had a pistol this whole time? "Rin, you alright?" The younger woman started to rise from the floor, nodding softly. 'Because of you, yes.'

"Stand down, Sango." It was Naraku, not Kuromaru that entered this time. Sango glanced at him, and lowered the weapon down with a scowl. "I have let you travel to this location in my territory without trouble time and time again, now you have gotten violent. Mind explaining yourself?"

"As if I need to explain anything to a half-breed." The dragon sneered. The aura in the room was getting high, and Rin cast a worried look over to Sango, though her weapon was lowered, she had yet to holster it.

" _You damaged one of my girls,_ in a safe zone no less, that does not go unpunished. You are aware of how severe the consequences are in this situation." The daiyoukai seemed to be calming a bit, the red in this eyes fading.

"My business with her is personal, Naraku. Nothing against your establishment." The dragon let out a big breath, smoothing out the front of his suit. "I don't wish to resort to violence, especially on such a pretty girl..." Rin openly glared at the dragon, 'Lies. You didn't hesitate.'

"I don't care what your issue with her is. You are not allowed back into Shikon until I say otherwise. If I hear of you in here again, I will personally take it as a declaration of war from you, dragon."

A thick silence followed for a few moments before the daiyoukai responded. "Very well." The dragon turned his eyes to her, "I'm sure we will see other each again another time, little Rin." Naraku motioned for Sango to escort the dragon, but she resisted.

"Rin's wound needs attention." She argued, but the spider told her to go. Then it was only them, alone. Gods, she just wanted this day to end.

"Is it numb?" He broke the silence first. She shook her head slowly, crossing her arms over her scantily-clothed body. "In Kuromaru's office, now." She quietly followed him out the room and through the oddly-silent club, the eyes of every employee and customer on them. Rin was thankful when they reached the office room. "Sit, and tell me what happened." And she did, taking a pen and paper from the desk to write down the recent events.

"Hm. And what does he want from you?" Looking defeated, she shrugged, 'I have no idea.'

"I suggest you find out." The blood sticking on her face was distracting. "Return when your cuts have healed." He finished, waving her off. Rin blinked, having expected more... something. Anger, maybe? A scolding of some sort? "What? Leave." 'Hmm, maybe this is a chance...?' She thought before quickly jotting down,

'You didn't have to. Thank you.' Rin stood and fled the room, never seeing the startled expression on the spider's face.

"Oh gods, Rin! Are you alright!?" Kagome exclaimed when she walked into the dressing room, examining the wound on her face. Rin didn't get a noise in before she was dragged to the full bathroom they had and began cleaning up the slashes. "That... That... bastard! I'm so glad Naraku banished him." Rin didn't know how effective that was, but if the war threat was true, she'd imagine even Ryukotsusei would want to avoid that. "This might scar, you'll need to be careful." She knew all about that.

"Oh my god, I just heard what happened. Rinny!" Yura cried, hugging Rin out of nowhere. Sango was close behind. "I'm so glad you are okay!"

Sango pulled the hair youkai off, "Let Kagome finish first."

"Oh, right, sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Let me just get the tape and bandages. Don't touch it!" Kagome returned quickly but seemed to having trouble. "This one is going to need stitches, Rin... You'll have to go to a hospital." She was grateful for their help and their concern, but she really, really needed to be alone. Rin grabbed Kagome's wrists, stopping her from going on and smiled at the woman as she lowered her hands. She quickly got up and gave each girl a hug, giving Sango especially a nice squeeze. It could have been a lot worse if she had not intervened.

"Are you going home?" Sango asked when she pulled away. Rin nodded.

"Don't you live alone? I don't like that one bit, he might go looking for you." Yura voiced, and she had her own worries about that as well-"Maybe you should crash at one of our places."-but she wasn't going to put anyone else in danger. Rin shook her head, moving away from the circle of women and quickly changing to more appropriate clothing.

"Rin, are you sure? I have an extra bed for guests, you can stay..." Rin shook her head again before Kagome could finish as she finished grabbing the last of her of things. 'Thank all of you, but I can't. I can't give him more reason to go after any of you.' She thought, waving goodbye to the women before leaving the club. The first stop was the usual clinic she went to with injuries beyond her scope. Though she knew how to stitch up wounds, she'd rather be more careful with one caused by a daiyoukai.

"Oh, Rin..." Doctor Suikotsu started, a soft hand on her face, tilting her head to the side to examine the wound. "This doesn't look human-made..."

Rin nodded and typed out on her speaking tablet. "Daiyoukai."

The doctor's eyebrows went up in shock, "What kind?"

She paused for a bit, she didn't know too much about youkai honestly but she knew dragons weren't that common... She decided against lying to the doctor, it might affect the treatment. "Dragon." The doctor frowned at the answer before he began to clean and seal the wound. Rin was not paying too much attention, zoning out when the needle began to pierce her skin. She thought she wouldn't have to come here again, as least not for something like this.

'Stop, not here... not now.' Rin tried to distract herself with other thoughts, 'With all this free time, hopefully I can head up to that shrine and see what Ryukotsusei is so desperate about.' She thought, 'But then what, if its something I can't give? Fight him?' Rin still had to meet up with Takahashi later at the ice cream parlor, though she wasn't sure if she was up for that. 'Its still a couple of hours from now. I should be fine after a quick nap, mostly.'

"Rin?" The doctor's voice pulled her attention back to reality, "I'm done here. I have some of that honey here you can take with you. Remember how to use it?" She nodded. "Okay... Then you are free to go. Please, Rin, be careful..." She was off, speeding towards her home, not wanting to be driving at the moment.

Rin scanned the area of her house, looking for anything suspicious, before she pulled up into the driveway. Her stomach rumbled as she walked inside her home, reminding her that she hadn't had a proper meal yet today. 'Something quick...' She didn't feel like eating but knew she needed something so she started a quick stir-fry of veggies and chicken.

" _You ain't getting away."_ Rin spun around in shock—but no one was there. Her eyes darted around the kitchen, nothing. 'What...' She rubbed her temples, body tense. 'I'm hearing things.' She tried to resume cooking but the voice whispered again, _"Never getting away..."_ Her eyes stung with fresh tears, 'Its in my head, its not real.' It had to be, because it was her father's voice.

He was dead. He was gone _forever_ , he couldn't hurt her. One hand came up and rested on the bandage on her cheek, _"I won't let you."_ She quickly turned off the burner, ran into her room and dove into her bed. 'Forget the food, too much today, I just need rest. Just need rest...' And willed herself into a fitful slumber.

-:-

Rin was relieved that Kohaku wasn't working at the moment, not knowing how to handle _that_ at all. She slipped into the booth, sitting across Takahashi whose attention was on a tablet sitting up on the table. "You're late." She didn't answer, picking at her dessert a bit before she took a bite. She wasn't in the mood for ice cream, even ordered a tiny portion but felt it was still too much. His gaze finally moved up to meet hers, she caught the tensing of his jaw and the slight narrowing of his eyes. "Who is responsible for that?"

Should she tell him? He was after Naraku primarily, but seemed to show some interest about Ryukotsusei too in their discussion earlier. 'Those are two different beasts though...' She thought the dragon was easily much more unpredictable and dangerous, and saw the spider as more of a schemer. Eyes downcast, she continued swirling her spoon around her dessert as she shook her head. He didn't need to know-

"Was it the spider?" The young woman just shook her head again, she didn't want to talk about it. 'Please...' "Then the dragon." She didn't confirm his guess, and he seemed to grow impatient.

"I cannot do anything if you do not tell me." Wearied about the whole thing, Rin thought there wasn't much he could do. Yes, they discussed plans of how to cripple Naraku, ones that will moved into place very soon-but she just didn't believe it would so 'easy' with Ryukotsusei nor did she understand _why_.

Every question of _why_ Takahashi dodged, and it didn't slip past her that he said nothing about police or even of the other crime lord, Sesshomaru. 'What if he is working for him? Or even Ryukotsusei?' Gods, she was getting paranoid.

Takahashi leaned forward in his seat, arms crossed over the table. "Do you doubt me?" Was it _that_ obvious on her face? 'Does it even matter who he might be working for? As long as Naraku pays...' She sighed, 'Though he did stop Ryukotsusei... but that was only because we were in the club.' Rin sunk her face into her hands, she wished she could just make it all disappear.

She didn't want to sneak around Naraku's club or fight against Ryukotsusei... She may have been getting beaten months ago—but those days now seemed so much more simpler and safer than today. Disturbed by that thought, Rin looked back up at Takahashi to find him staring right back at her, blank as usual. Nothing in there. Even when speaking about Naraku earlier, it was all cold and calculated. No fear.

'How do you do that?' Rin wrote on a small pad she pulled from her purse.

"Do what?" She was half-way into writing when she stopped, and just scratched off the words. It didn't matter.

'A man named Bankotsu came in today, planning something. Not sure if he is important. Naraku banished Ryukotsusei from Shikon.' She wrote instead, knowing that was something he would be interested in knowing. 'Said he would declare war if he found him near it again.' The news seemed to surprise the man a bit,

"Does that have anything to do with you?"

Rin shrugged at the question, before writing. 'Think he wanted to do it for awhile now, I'm just the excuse.'

It was quiet after that, she finally got through her ice cream and was beginning to feel a bit better about everything though she really should get some real food in her. 'Maybe tacos...' There was a good Mexican place a couple blocks down. She looked at Takahashi, who was busy on his tablet-computer. 'Should I ask him to come? It can't hurt. Rather not go alone.' But she suddenly grew nervous, wondering how it would look if she asked him to come for dinner. 'It wasn't a big deal for him, Rin!'

But he was an attractive man, of course asking her wasn't a big deal for him. He probably asks ridiculously-gorgeous women out all the time, not to mention the crime lord hunting, his confidence was at a level she could only dream of reaching. 'And everything perfect.' His hair, clothing, always on point. Rin thought he may have a million suits, because she can't recall an outfit repeating yet. In fact, his mannerisms reminded her a lot of Sesshomaru...

"You are staring." 'Ah, oops.' She adverted her eyes immediately, embarrassed. "If you have something you wish to say, do so." Rin hesitated but eventually jotted down, 'Tacos?' and held the paper up, covering everything below her eyes so he hopefully doesn't see her blushing. A perfect eyebrow raised, and for a moment it looked as if he was totally going to make fun of her, but he just said "Okay." and made a move to stand.

'Okay? Really?' She thought, a bit shocked as they threw out their cups, gathered their things. She lead the way to the small, family-owned restaurant, feeling a bit ashamed as it was certainly not like the up-scale place he had taken her to... "Senor Takahashi!" '… Wait, what?' Rin looked on confused as the elder owner exchanged pleasantries with the stoic man, and they were sat almost immediately.

She pulled out her tablet this time, making sure the volume wasn't too loud before typing, "You've been here before?"

"Yes, with clients."

"It doesn't seem your style."

"Oh? And what is my style?"

"Expensive." Was all she typed, a small smile on her lips. He opened his mouth to retaliate but was interrupted by the waiter putting down some water and menus.

"Mr. Takahashi, would you be having the usual margarita?"

"Yes, one for the lady as well." She wasn't going to argue, because a margarita sounded amazing right now with the hell of a day she had, but again, not something she pictured him drinking at all. The waiter asked about food, and he ended up ordering their super-amazing fish tacos for them both. "You are staring, again."

"You... like tacos and margaritas?" The tablet butchered the pronunciation a bit on the last word.

"You seem to be fascinated with my eating habits." 'Because messy tacos, colorful margaritas, and sweet, awesome cookie dough ice cream are not what cold and fearless people eat.' She felt like saying, though she was aware of how ridiculous that sounded. 'Its not like attitudes dictate what someone eats...' But seeing him sipping on a bright blue drink with a little pink umbrella in it was just strange. She wasted no time on her's, nearly finishing it before the food came out.

"Ah, would you like another, senorita?" Rin nodded, grateful that the alcohol was distracting her from the stinging on her face and troublesome thoughts.

"So, what do you outside of work and side work?" She typed, before the food and refreshed drink was set before them.

"More work." He replied before taking a bite of his food. The answer made her smile, not at all surprised and she found that comforting. They ate most of the food without any chatter—not like Takahashi was going to initiate any small talk and she had her hands full-the silence broken once Rin finished her 4th margarita. "You may want to slow down."

Rin blinked up at him, feeling completely fine and amazing. Why would she slow down? Besides, he had as much as her! 'I think...? Maybe more!' "Would you two like anything else? Dessert, maybe? We do have a mexican chocolate martini-" Rin nodded excitedly, not letting him finish. The waiter looked at Takahashi expectantly, who seemed to be holding back a sigh.

"Very well, I'll have one as well." Rin smiled widely, doing a small clap of her hands. His lips twitched a bit, but he didn't say word as the waiter cleared the table.

She grabbed her tablet, "I'm paying. No fighting about that this time!"

Takahashi smirked—gods, did he look so handsome when he did that!-before replying, "I already took care of it."

Rin gasped, her mouth wide in shock before her expression broke into another smile, "Nooo! Sneaky!" She giggled at how absurd the tablet sounded, so robotic and flat. The young woman made a move to type something else when his hand laid over her's, making her gasp at the shock of his touch.

"I prefer when you write." That was it, nothing special, so why was her heart pounding and why did her mind insist on wondering how many different ways to interpret that? He pulled away when the waiter returned with their dessert drinks and Rin tried her damnedest to ignore how much she wanted his hand to stay. 'Maybe I did have too much...' A sip of the chocolate martini convinced her otherwise. _This_ she could have allll night. She put away her tablet, and pulled a small pad of paper she still kept. 'Better?'

"Yes." She swore there was a tiny smile hidden behind his glass before he took a drink, or maybe that was the tequila talking...? Regardless, Rin smiled back before taking another long sip of her drink. They sat in comfortable silence until they finished their drinks, then she grabbed his hand and lead him the opposite way from where they came.

"Where are you taking me?" Takahashi asked, not resisting in the slightest. She grinned at him, enjoying his more relaxed state as she lead them down downtown's main street. The road was littered with shops, bars, and up-scale restaurants but she was interested in the park's garden that she hadn't had a chance to visit in such a long time. The most gorgeous flowers bloomed around this time of year... The sound of music interrupted her thoughts as she neared the park. It appeared some little festival was taking place, 'Ah, but he might not like that. Too much noise and people...'

"Do you wish to go in?" Takahashi whispered in her ear. 'Whoa, when did he get that close?' Rin tried really hard to not get lost in his eyes and completely forget what he just said, 'Huh, he really does have gold flecks in his eyes...' But that was futile. 'His skin is so perfect too. I need to know what he does. Steal all of his products. Yup.' "Rin...?" He raised a brow, 'Those eyebrows! Are they always just like that? No way. He has to have someone for that.' "Rin." 'Huh, his lips are nice too-' " _Rin._ "

'Oh. Oops.' The young woman snapped out of her thoughts and brought her gaze back up to his eyes, 'Not his lips, that's not appropriate, Rin!' He seemed a bit annoyed, but far more amused. She tilted her head to the side in question, having not remembered what he asked... if he did ask anything. 'Were we even talking? I had too much.' "Do you wish to go in? I won't ask again..."

Rin smiled and nodded, both entering the small festival grounds. She noticed one of the banners read 'End of Summer Festival'. 'We have a festival for that?' She quickly got absorbed in the bright colors of green, red, yellow, blue and orange that dominated the stands; though one stand caught her eye right away, selling flowers.

"Ah, what a beautiful lady! I don't have much being the end of the day and all, but perhaps..." He grabbed a lily, with a lime-ish green center, its petals were a deep pink with darker spots scattered about, the edges of it white. 'Wow, its so pretty!' She began rummaging through her purse for cash but Takahashi had beat her to it. Rin took the flower, caressing its petals for a moment as she bit her bottom lip. She really wanted to thank him, 'Would a kiss on the cheek be too much for him?'

But she lost her nerve after taking just two steps closer to him, acting as if she was just going to walk around him. Whether he noticed, she wasn't sure, but he made no comment and just continued following her. There wasn't much around due the time of evening, she made a mental note to try and visit again before it was over-

"Do you trust me?" She blinked at the very sudden closeness, having been turned around and face-to-face with the man. 'How did he...? When... what?' Rin focused, nodding softly. 'What's going on?' "Some of Ryu's men are here." His hand cupped her wounded cheek, covering the bandage. Rin stiffened at the news, 'Are they looking for me? Is it just a coincidence?' He looked over head for a moment and glared, before getting way, way too close.

"Relax." Was the last warning she got before his lips crashed onto hers, his other arm wrapping around her waist and pressing her flush against him. Rin returned his embrace, hesitant before she pressed her lips firmly against his. Her body shivered when his tongue ran over her lower lip, asking for more. This time she didn't hesitate, opening her mouth willingly as he dominated the kiss. His tongue brushed against hers, earning a hushed moan from her. 'Okay, calm down, Rin!'

At that moment, they pulled away from each other a bit, and Rin saw... gold? Confused, she swiped her thumb at the top of his cheekbone, wondering if her unfocused vision was playing tricks on her. But Takahashi closed his eyes for only a moment, and they were blue again. 'Yup, never having that many margaritas from there again...' "Scared them off." Rin instantly relaxed at that; nothing scared people away more than public affection!

"We should go. Come." And she blindly followed, wondering where he could be taking her.

-:-

'Ughhh, my head.' Rin groaned, rolling over in a-'This is not mine.' She sat up quickly and immediately regretted it as she clutched her head. Then she realized the clothing she was wearing was certainly not hers either, but her underwear was still intact and on her body, except her bra... 'Where...?' The bed she was on was nothing short of amazing, fluffy white comforter and pillows that she could just... sink back into... 'No.'

The rest of the room was pretty plain and simple. The smell of bacon hit her senses like a wrecking ball and that was enough to get her legs moving. 'Takahashi? Cooking? Really?' She walked into the living room, struck by the view from the large window that made up an entire wall of the apartment.

They were still downtown... 'Oh, The Whole Scoop is right there in walking distance!' She knew exactly where she was. Rin strolled over to the small kitchen, offhandedly peering into the trash and back to the counter. There was a discrepancy between the amount of bacon cooked and the amount of packs in the trash...

Grabbing the pen and paper ready for her on the breakfast counter, she wrote, 'Did you have 3 pounds of bacon on your own?' He looked at her, then the trash, then the skillet and back at her.

"Perhaps..." Rin broke into a fit of giggles, before swiping a waffle, content to nibble on it as she stood next to him, watching him cook. He made a syrup using wild blueberries, a bunch of waffles—she briefly wondered if he ate a pound of those too-some scrambled eggs and was finishing a pack of bacon. He also was currently nibbling on a waffle, and she couldn't help but stare at how different he looked, wearing just sweatpants and a plain white tee, being able to see more clearly the shape of his muscles under-

Rin mentally shook off the naughty thoughts, looking down at what she was wearing, which appeared to be one of his shirts. He must have seen her pull on it questioningly, "You insisted that sleeping with clothes on was blasphemy. I did not want you to jump to conclusions in the morning, you comprised for one of my shirts." She let out a breath of relief, grateful she didn't anything _too, too_ stupid.

"You then insisted I sleep in the bed with you because I'm warm and smell nice." And she spoke too soon. She shoved the rest of the waffle in her mouth, put her red face in her hands and simply walked away, not wanting to hear anything else. She decided to head into the bathroom before really digging in breakfast to check on her stitches.

Takahashi watched the young woman walk back down the single hallway of his small apartment, and enter the restroom. She appeared to be fine. It was not his intention to get her that drunk—drunk women are an absolute bother, but the human wasn't as terrible as he anticipated. It also appeared he was successful in removing any doubt in her mind of his intentions with Naraku and Ryukotsusei, which was the objective all along.

He put down another waffle in a few bites, mildly annoyed that he was not able to have his more caloric and nutrition dense demonic meat for the past two days, thus he had to have a grotesque amount of human food. Fortunately, Rin did not catch that slip up with the bacon, however... He munched down another waffle, before putting more batter on the iron.

_The soft pad of her thumb brushed against his cheek, her brows were scrunched and her head tilted slightly to the side in confusion, staring directly into his eyes. His control had slipped, just for a brief moment, distracted by her. He shut his eyes and willed his disguise to the forefront of his mind; when he opened them again, she didn't make an attempt to ask or say anything. "Scared them off." But that got her mind off of it._

Best case was she would disregard it as a figment of her intoxicated mind... His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone vibrating on the counter. His sharp eyes caught the notification of a text message saying something about a shrine.

Takahashi heard the bathroom door click again, and glanced at Rin walking back into the kitchen, sitting on one of the stools at the breakfast bar next to him. Her bandage was missing, a type of cream appeared to drying on the cuts. He placed a white empty plate in front of her, before placing all the serving plates packed with breakfast food in a row within arms reach. The woman wasted no time, grabbing some of each and pouring the syrup over her pancakes happily.

"Your wound, its getting better." Rin gave him a closed smile and nodded in agreement. "Will you still not tell me what happened?" She frowned, swallowing the last of her food in her mouth. She seemed to be complementing her options, her eyes shifting from him to her pen before she eventually grabbed it,

'Ryukotsusei came in the club, bad mood. Tried picking a fight with a friend, I took him away. He was asking for an orb. I don't know yet what he was talking about. He thought I was lying, hit me. Sango and Naraku came and saved the day.' She passed the paper to him and he began reading as she sneaked in more bacon and eggs.

"Yet..." He had a very good idea of what Ryukotsusei was speaking of, but why would this human girl have something like that? She couldn't be a descendant from _that_ bloodline, could she? "When will you know? Has he talked about this before?"

'Whenever they are ready for me.' She replied back.

"Who are 'they'?"

At this, Rin shrugged as she wrote, 'Wish I knew.' The pen stopped for a moment, she rolled it in-between in her fingers, staring at him, before continuing, 'I was invited to an event with Ryukotsusei last week, he wasn't the first who did and I certainly did not want to go. He threatened to kill the children on my block if I didn't go, I didn't want to find out if it was a bluff... At the end of the night, that's when he first mentioned it. He wants it, and promised to get me away from everything if I gave it to him, that he'd leave me alone forever and if not, well...'

Takahashi read the note entirely. 'Wise to not challenge his threat...' Ryukotsusei has, and will continue, to do anything, no matter how gruesome, to obtain what he wants. "No else was there? Nothing else happened at this... event?" He asked, feigning ignorance.

'Sesshomaru and Naraku were there as well. I told Ryukotsusei that Naraku killed my father, who was one of his 'lieutenants' over some land that he took afterward. That got Naraku angry.' She glanced up at him before writing her last line, 'But you already knew that, didn't you?'

Takahashi refused to react at her last bold question, asking coolly, "What do you mean?"

Rin flipped the paper around, frowning, not having anymore space to write. He gave her another from the pile not far from them, his gaze not leaving her's. 'I mean, you aren't the law. So you must be working for the only person you _aren't_ interested in hearing about.' She paused again, 'And I don't care.'

He read her lines, his brow raising up at the last one. He expected her to have quite a problem working with someone she suspected was working with another crime lord. Sensing his confusion, she grabbed the paper again and wrote, 'You're nice. And I guess, from what I know anyway, Sesshomaru isn't... terrible. And do I really have a choice anymore if I want to live?'

Takahashi hated the way her eyes dimmed and lips became down-turned as she wrote, appearing weary, lonely, sad. And the mark of her face, further depressing her features. It didn't fit her. It wasn't right. She touched her stitches, and noticed her eyes becoming glassy. It made him irrationally angry. "You had a choice, and you made it." Her wide eyes looked at him, shocked. "And after we are through, you will not have to live in fear again."

'I hope so... but I know that along the way, many more will get hurt or worse, including myself, even you. After all, we are only expendable to this Sesshomaru, aren't we?' Rin looked down at the paper for a minute before shaking head, flipping it over instead of passing it to him to read. But he had already read the words, and did not like her finality about the situation.

Takahashi was not intentionally trying to get her hurt, or killed-nor was he so quick to allow that to happen anymore. He internally winced at that, it was not because he specifically cared for her, no. His hatred for senseless death and abuse was one difference he had developed over the centuries from his competitors. And he believed she earned some of that mercy. However, unless he wanted to drop the bomb on her now, it wasn't something he could explain so clearly to her, _if he had even wanted to_ , and what little trust she had developed over his human persona would be lost, as she for certain had none for his true daiyoukai form.

The man saw her using her phone, perhaps reading the message she received earlier. She stood from her stool and ran into his bedroom. Takahashi kept himself busy with loading the dishwasher and stuffing himself with the last of food out of her sight. He made a mental note to never again have alcohol on a stomach barely filled with human food. She came out not too long afterward, fully dressed in her simple v-neck, shorts and the flower he bought last night tucked behind her ear.

She looked... adorable, and his inner youkai pride scoffed at the thought. She began quickly jotting on a new sheet of paper. Once done, she turned to him, pushed the paper on his chest with one hand, got up on the tips of toes and placed a quick peck on his cheek. He noticed her flushed pink cheeks before she ran out the front door, and he let out a breath he didn't know had been holding.

'I really have to go now. Thank you for the food, the night, everything. I know its probably just your job... but I really needed that, and I'm so grateful. Thank you.' He read, again left unsure as to how he was suppose to feel. 'She is just a broken girl, any attention from a man she would be grateful for.' His mind leered, 'Such a weak girl is a waste of time.' Takahashi frowned, he didn't know any of that, though he couldn't argue that, as a daiyoukai, he had no time for the silly affections of a human woman but, perhaps as Takahashi...

The daiyoukai rubbed the back of his neck as his disguise faded away, letting out a small sigh of relief as he let his youki free. Staring out his window, his sharp vision caught her right away, a small bounce in her step. He kept his eyes on her until she rounded a corner, out of his sight. His attention shifted back to the paper in his clawed hand, reading it other again, annoyed at the warmth of its words and that little jolt he felt when her lips unknowingly brushed against his sensitive stripes. He growled at his thoughts, shredding the paper and throwing the rest in the trash bin.

'Ridiculous.' He sneered, determined to get through the rest of the day without another thought about her.

-;-

After a few hours, Rin finally reached her destination, an old shrine far from city limits. Very far. Too far. She exited her car, eyes stuck on the large flight of stairs she had to climb. 'Of course...' She sighed, making her way up. Once at the top, she pulled out her tablet, walking up to a young woman who had her back to her as she swept the flat stone ground.

"Excuse me?"

"Rin?!" Kagome exclaimed, startled. Rin blinked at her friend, fully dressed in a traditional priestess garb. "What are you doing here?!"

"I was told to come here..." She typed unsure. A small, elder woman left the modern house to her left, walking up to the two.

"Ah, you must be Rin. Both know each other?"

"Yes, Kaede, she's from school." Kagome replied instantly. Rin just nodded, not entirely sure what was going on. 'School? Why is she lying?'

"Wonderful. I am Kaede, the caretaker of this shrine here." The elder woman gave her a little smile, "You look just like Emiko." Rin bowed her head in thanks, feeling a bit strange about the comparison. She knew she looked like her mother, that didn't bother her, but so little people were still around that knew her... "Please come inside. Kagome, once you are done, take a rest, you have earned it."

"Yes, Kaede!" The pair walked inside the home and she felt something wrong right away, the hairs on her back raised, her arms got goosebumps, and felt short of breath.

"Do you feel that, Rin?" She just nodded, following the old woman to a black and gold box that sat innocently on the coffee table in the living room. 'Is this it...?' Rin placed a hand on the box, it was... humming. 'This is what he wants...?'

"I did not want to drop this on ye so quickly. There is training, history that needs to taught, procedures that need to be learned... but I fear the seal is weaker than I originally thought." She gave her a questioning look, waiting for her to elaborate. "It is best that you take a seat. I will get some tea. Then, we will talk."

Rin slid into the chair nearby, not taking her eyes of the golden dragon that decorated the lid. 'Mother didn't want him to have this.' She had to see it, her hands undid the simple lock, she had to see what had been causing her so much grief.

Kagome stopped her, "Trust me, you don't want to do that. It sends out some pulse of energy when opened, doesn't feel nice."

"Only when others try to open it. It is fine for Rin's blood to open and touch its contents, it will not radiate its energy in her hands." Kaede explained as she shuffled her way back into the room with a tray of green tea. Kagome helped the elder woman set the tray down and serve all the women.

"So... can she?" Kagome asked, sounding a bit excited. 'Looks like she is just as curious as I am.' Rin thought, waiting for a response.

"Aye, it is always best to see what you are dealing with." Rin did not need more than that, quickly opening up the box. A small, black orb sat in the middle of a rich, black satin pillow, almost blending into the fabric. She gingerly picked up the orb, letting it roll onto her palm and rest there, feeling the vibration of its soft humming. It sparkled brilliantly, almost as if the darkest night sky and brightest stars were trapped in its walls. She noticed when she moved the orb, its glimmers stayed flat, not moving along with the glass.

"Its pretty..." Kagome mumbled, staring at it with wide eyes. She then grimaced, looking back at Rin. "And if my training has taught me anything so far, its that the beautiful mystical items are the most dangerous."

Kaede hummed in agreement, "In the wrong hands, yes, it is a terrible thing." Rin's jaw tensed, her other hand instinctively moving to the covered wound on her cheek.

"Ryukotsusei." Kagome stated in disbelief, as if something finally made sense to her. "This... He came after you for this?"

"You have a dragon tailing ye for the orb?!" Both women flinched at the sudden outburst from the quiet elder, "This is no good, not at all. You must appeal to the youkai council at once." Kaede rose from her chair, "Quickly, put it back." Rin did as told at once, the elder beginning to make her nervous. 'Youkai council, what is she talking about?'

"They didn't want to help with the Shikon No Tama, or the water god, or the flaming horse, or, well, anything. They barely helped with the hell sword... Why would they want to help with this?" Kagome sneered, obviously having some kind of distaste for this council.

"They have no choice, unless they wish for history to repeat itself once more..." Kaede sighed, calmer than before. "Are you able to stay a couple of days, Rin?"

"Uh..." Rin looked between both women and back to the closed box, 'What... I...' She was growing real tired of the hand life dealt her. The young woman just nodded, hoping that, at least way out here, she would not have to worry over her problems in the city.

Kagome grabbed her shoulders, a smile on her face, "I'm here for you if you need anything, you know that right?" She smiled back at her friend, giving one of her hands a squeeze.

Rin drew out her tablet, typing, "Where do I start?"

**End of Chapter 7**


	8. PALE DRAGON

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somehow missed this last recent chapter when I was updating here. Fixed weird double spacing thing!

'Thoughts/Rin's writing'

"Speaking/Tablet-Speech"

_Flashbacks_

Original Publish Date: 2/26/2017

Its was late into the night. Rin was lying on her back on a small twin bed with a modern copy of an old, ancient demon history textbook in her hands, a welcome distraction from the fresh soreness on her face where Kagome tried her knack at light healing. Kaede insisted that she just forget everything she ever learned about demon history in school (which was very little) and read through this book first, then they will start the complicated things afterward. She was expecting to be mostly bored of her mind, but this version of the tales were more real, it seemed, and she didn't feel like just brushing them off as she did in school. Though she was younger back then...

What surprised her the most had to be that Sesshomaru was actually in the book, along with his father, mother and brother—that she didn't know existed!-and even Ryukotsusei and his family. The modern textbooks in school didn't talk about demons that still roamed around, 'Maybe not to scare the children?' Sesshomaru seemed just as ruthless as Ryukotsusei in the beginning, while she saw small hints of his character changing through the centuries, Ryukotsusei stayed the same.

And there was a troubling fact... 'He doesn't die!' First, Sesshomaru's father, Touga, kills Ryukotsusei. Turns out he is just sealed and Sesshomaru's brother, Inuyasha, ends up waking him up, but then kills him. He then reappears a century later, and Sesshomaru kills him. He comes back again about a century and a half later, and manages to stay alive till now. 'How? It makes no sense.'

She found Touga's love story interesting, the influence apparently being one of the first major steps in how humans and youkai should unite. She wondered if Kaede had any other books with him around.

Her concern over this youkai council grew as she neared the end of the book. At that point in history, it consisted of _a lot_ of youkai, including: Sesshomaru, Sesshomaru's mother, a wolf daiyoukai named Daichi, a panther king, another daiyoukai named Shishinki, a fox named Takumi, a bear, a falcon, and... Rin blinked in shock, 'Abi and _Kaguya_? No way.'

A peace treaty between the humans and demons had been signed about 30 years before, when the council looked considerably different, then a long string of terrible events occurred. The shattering of the Shikon no Tama-there wasn't much on why that's such a terrible thing in the book-which the council ended voting against on helping with. It resulted in unnecessary carnage across the country due to those going mad with the jewel shard's power.

During that time, a demon horse found his way out of his seal, and terrorized human towns and villages, looking for a master. The council also refused to intervene with that, stating if the humans thought they were equals, they could easily tame a demon horse. The list went on and just had shaking her head in disbelief.

The decisions were never unanimous, she noted, as it seemed the council was split on nearly every judgment they made. The constant fighting from every side eventually brought the peace treaty to an end, the humans arguing the youkai did nothing to up hold it thus it was no longer valid.

The youkai council fell not too much later, leaving the remaining youkai with no political party to govern them or protect their rights when the time came that human populations vastly surpassed youkai and human weapons technology advanced to the point that any human could be a real, true threat to any youkai. Throughout the years, the daiyoukais attempted to rebuild some kind of council, but each attempt failed. It seemed how they handled now, like mafia lords, was the only way to provide stable land and undeniable care to their people.

Rin yawned, stretching her self out on the bed after shutting the finished book. 'So, Kaede wants me to appeal to a council that does not exist.' She stared up at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts. 'If Sesshomaru, Naraku, Kouga and Kaguya are the closest thing to a council and the quickest way to get the help and attention of the youkai species... I am screwed.' There was no mistake in that.

-:-

_THE NEXT MORNING_

"I don't want you near that place again!" Sango yelled, "You could have gotten yourself killed, don't you know the kind of youkai that crawl around in that club?!" She had just heard from Kagome that it was a young man named Kohaku who tried to push Ryukotsusei away from Rin, so she rushed to her brother's home... and she was beyond livid.

"I can take care of myself!" He spat back, "Nothing even happened-"

"Don't fool yourself! If that woman hadn't gotten in the way, that youkai would have split you in two the moment you left the club." Sango's eyes began to water, "I can't do my job and protect you at the same time, Kohaku. Me even being here can put you in danger, I can't lose you. And I... I..." She covered her face with her hands, walking away from her younger brother.

Kohaku's eyes softened, "... I'm sorry. The guys just wanted celebrate, they were getting all suspicious when I pushed to go somewhere else so I just gave in. I didn't think all of _that_ was going to happen." Sango sniffled, her eyes towards the ceiling, trying to blink back any new tears. "I was just so surprised to see Rin there..."

"You know Rin?"

"Yeah, she frequents the shop. I thought about asking her out a few times..." He began scratching the back of his head, "Though now she hangs out with some rich guy now."

"She's a nice girl." Sango said, looked back at him. "Do you happen to know how often they meet?"

"Pfft, like everyday." Kohaku said, dejected as he dropped himself on his beige sofa. "At least, Asagi and Shippo make it sound like that. Ever since since he stopped meeting that lady wind demon-"

"That same man was meeting Kagura?"

Kohaku blinked up at his sister, "I guess? I'm not sure what her name was. She had these huge red eyes. I haven't seen her around in a long time now."

"Is that so..." Sango crossed her arms over her chest, expression unreadable. "What time do you usually see them?"

Kohaku frowned, "Why are you so interested?" She didn't respond. He sighed, "In the evening. Sometimes it could be at 6 or as late as 11. I've only seen them maybe once or twice during the day."

Sango checked the clock on her phone, letting out a soft sigh. "I have to get back, thanks for info." She kissed the top of his head, "Be careful!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

-:-

"Do not be so quick to judge, our mikos have also made terrible choices." Kaede started, interrupting Rin's thoughts. They sat outside, Kaede watching Kagome's archery technique while using her powers. "We have made many missteps when dealing with youkai, being as cruel as they were in most cases, thus fueling the flames that separated us."

Kagome cheered when the arrow hit the center of her target, scorching the entire circle. "Nice shot!" Rin typed, before turning her attention back to Kaede, "Can you tell more about the jewel now?"

Kaede nodded, passing her a thin, maroon colored book that appeared ancient. "Only a few pages are translated. Unfortunately, the miko working on that one has... passed away. Read what you can, and any questions you have later, I'll answer."

Rin already began flipping through the pages with a gentle hand, the first translation was the orb's origins, but that was unclear according to the text. Some say it belonged to the dragon god, Ryujin, and was a source of his power—other's say it was created by Susanoo, the god of storm and sea-but the orb's existence goes far back into time... The text claims the jewel was created at the same moment the world came to be. With her nose in the book, Rin didn't notice Kagome's straight shots with her loud cheering or Kaede's amused looks.

But she did feel the heavy pulse coming from the home behind them. Without thought, she jumped out her seat and ran into the building, wincing when another pulse resonated from the box before snatching the jewel from its failing confides. It silenced, she sighed in relief. Kaede and Kagome soon joined her,

"We need to fortify our barriers." Kaede stated, looking at Kagome.

The young woman nodded, "No doubt those waves of energy are going to attract unwanted attention!" Rin's eyes darted between the two, wondering if she could help. Kagome responded, "Don't worry about us. Barriers are miko stuff, so you won't be able to do much... Just keep that thing quiet." She nodded, tightening her grip on the small jewel while the other two stepped out again.

With another sigh, she opened her palm, starring into the dark abyss it held. She saw little sparks bounce around its walls for a brief moment, whispers of a language unknown to her flooded her mind, before stilling entirely.

-:-

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken bowed, "Its been a few days since we have last seen you, milord. Welcome back!" The daiyoukai ignored his vassal as he made his way into his office, determined to catch up on any grueling paperwork he had been neglecting. "Ah, I'll bring some tea!" The kappa exclaimed before scampering off.

He went through the physical mail first, these letters sent from more traditional youkai requesting either personal help or assistance with human authorities. Most requests of the former are denied, selfish requests that he had zero obligation in fulfilling. The latter, however... those were dealt with. Jaken returned, setting down a kettle and single saucer. Sesshomaru started, "Did anything occur in my absence?"

"It has been fairly quiet, milord, but you do have a letter from the band of seven and Abi has personally request your presence." Abi hadn't requested talks with him in the past century. He was aware of her situation with her mother and Naraku, attempting to contact him in private could risk her mother's life.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, mi-lord."

"Then you are dismissed."

_LATER THAT DAY_

"Finally. You are such a pain to get a hold of." Abi sneered in frustration, her face partially covered with a hoodie. They met behind one of the famous restaurants in his side of the city, called The Pale Dragon.

Sesshomaru brushed aside the tone of her voice for now, "What is the meaning of this?"

Abi let out a huge breath, leaning her back against the concrete wall. "You know I monitor the skies for any abnormalities for Naraku..." She reached into the inner side of her jacket, pulling out a couple of folded sheets of paper. "I saw this nearly a week ago. I was debating on whether to tell Naraku or not..." She handed him the papers, print outs of some type of immense, electro-magnetic disturbance outside of the city. It lasted only a few seconds. "I haven't and I won't. It happened again today. Been trying to get a hold of you since."

"Why?"

" _Because_ whatever that was, Ryukotsusei went insane for. Did you hear what happened at Shikon the other day?" Sesshomaru nodded, still looking through the maps. It ended too quickly for Abi to pinpoint the location. Somewhere far outside the city, to the west. "And that power is concerning to say the least." Abi narrowed her eyes, "You're not surprised."

"I may have heard of something related to this..." Sesshomaru responded vaguely, unsure how much he should divulge to the bird daiyoukai.

"You don't trust me, fine, I get it." Abi growled, "But if I find anything else, I'm bringing it to you. I sure as hell don't trust Naraku." She then scoffed, shaking her head with a smile, "Just like old times, eh?" Sesshomaru said nothing as the female daiyoukai turned into a large bird, a more compact version of her true form, and fled the area. His phone went off at that moment, his 'human' phone to be exact, with a text message from Rin.

'I need to talk to Sesshomaru in private very soon... Today would be great!' The text read.

He read it with abundant curiosity, replying, 'What matter of business is this?'

'I can talk to only him. It _has_ to be Sesshomaru. It _has_ to be before tomorrow.'

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the last message, 'Are you backing down?'

'No, but something has changed. Please, its just for a moment.' His eyes drifted towards the walls of the restaurant in front of him. He had a meeting later with Kouga, Toran and their respective mates. Rin could be a welcomed distraction...

Sesshomaru shook that thought away, did he not just decide days ago to keep her away? Away from the real him? Was his resolve so weak? He leaned against the concrete wall, staring down at the phone in hand. _'...we are only expendable to this Sesshomaru, aren't we?'_ It still bothered him, how she thought of him, and which was compounded by his irritation of even caring in the first place. In the end, he could not change her thoughts on him in his human form, that he was quite frankly tired of using.

He _wanted_ to see her, not as his human self, and he will.

-:-

Rin struggled with her front door, balancing a few large books on her raised thigh as she quickly unlocked it. 'Ugh, so... heavy!' She dropped the stack on the nearest table. Glancing at the clock, she realized she only had about an hour to get ready, though she wished she didn't have to. 'Why can't Sesshomaru like ice cream like Takahashi?' She mentally grumbled, dragging her feet to the shower.

Rin let out a sigh of relief as the hot water hit her body. 'I hope Kagome will be alright.' She didn't like leaving them there with that ominous thing, but she could not be in the city with that on her person. Ryukotsusei knows where she lives, where she works. It would be far too easy for him to get a hold of it. She made quick of her shower, leaving with her damp body wrapped in a fluffy brown towel as she made her way to her closet and realized... 'I have nothing to wear.'

The young woman face-palmed, forgetting that shopping for fine dresses was something she hadn't done yet. Not that she _wanted to_ as the only times she has needed something so formal so far was for-

"Wear this."

Rin stumbled backwards in shock, tripping over some thrown-about shoes and thankfully, landing on her bed. She blinked up at the daiyoukai who somehow made it into her home, into her room, and stood right behind her without her having a single clue to his presence. The young woman tightened up her towel, giving the dog demon her best glare, 'What is with these demons just coming into someone's home unannounced?!' Her glare did nothing to his expression as the daiyoukai just dropped the large box in his hands onto her lap and walked out of the room.

The young woman bit back another sigh as she undid the bow on the white box, slipping the lid open and revealing a striking red dress. Her fingertips glided over the beaded embellishments that ran along the sweetheart neckline of the dress before she stood, pulling the entire floor-length gown from the box. Rin smiled at the dress, turning it around, admiring the lace-up back. She removed the towel and slipped into the dress, humming happily until she realized she would need his help...

Rin opened her bedroom door, finding the daiyoukai idly flipping through one of the books she grabbed at the shrine. She placed a firm hand on his extended arm, getting his eyes, before she turned around and pointed at the back of her dress. "I believed this was something you could do on your own, considering your profession..." He said, though his hands still worked the bodice's ties. 'Yes, _I_ can, but it should be faster and easier if _you_ do.' She thought, glancing down at the book he was looking through. 'Oh, it was that one, the one about... him.'

"You seem interested to learn more about me." Sesshomaru stated. Rin couldn't reach for paper or her tablet while he was still doing her ties, so she couldn't voice a proper response. 'Yes, I am. I need to know if you can be trusted, figure out what kind of person you are...' She thought. "You do not need to rely on old human text. You may simply ask."

Rin gave a look over her shoulder, 'How can I believe you?'

"I have no reason to lie." He grounded out, finishing up the knot.

Now she looked at him bewildered, 'Are you a mind reader or something?'

"You are very easy to read." The daiyoukai stated, "Go, finish." Rin nodded, dashing into her room to pick up a pair of matching heels and do her makeup. She looked at her wild hair in the mirror and decided on an elegant side bun that she was used to using whenever she wanted to be a bit fancy, not wanting to fight her hair now with a complicated style. She frowned a bit at the cuts on her face, the marks still pink and tender, though Kagome's healing helped enough to get her stitches out earlier. Still, Rin forgoes covering it with make-up, afraid of irritating the still healing skin.

She walked out just as he was making his way to her room, 'Probably to tell me to hurry up...' He stopped and looked her, his face unreadable as always. She smiled up at him, and twirled around once, before looking up at him again, expecting some kind of opinion. He reached into his blazer pocket, "You are missing something." And handed her another box, this one much smaller. She opened up the navy box, revealing a pair of drop earrings, sparkling with...diamonds and rubies?

Heart thudding, she shut the box quickly and tried handing it back to him, but his hands refused to come up and grab the box. They were beautiful. Way too beautiful. 'I can't... I can't accept that. I'm already wearing this dress...!' "Do you not like them?" Rin looked at him like he was crazy. 'Of course, I do! But no, no, no!' Irritated that he just would not take it back, she stepped closer, tried shoving it back into his blazer but he grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Wear them for the night. You can return them if it makes you uncomfortable."

Rin looked up at the daiyoukai, knowing she might be a bit too close to him, then puzzled when her mind brought back Takahashi. 'Something about his eyes...' She thought, the amber in front of her reminded her very much of that night were she could have sworn she saw... 'And his clothes... and his personality. Huh.' When one brow quirked up in that familiar way, she realized at that moment, _she was touching his face._

The young woman pulled away from his cheek rapidly as she brought herself back into reality, eyes darting between him and the jewelery before sighing in defeat. 'I guess that's fine.' She thought, stepping to the mirror to put the earrings on. Rin gave a long look at her reflection, not used to being done up to look fancy instead of trashy, before smiling sadly... she did look just like her mother. The smile vanished, her eyes downcast. 'What would she think of me wearing this... from a daiyoukai like him? _Again. Willingly_. Would she be disappointed in her?'

Rin barely felt the hand on her mid-back, looking up to meet the golden eyes of her date tonight. Unyielding, his gaze told her nothing of his thoughts, but she hoped hers did. She hoped he could see how much she didn't want to do this, and hoped he would, at the least, not ask her of it again. She blinked harshly, suddenly aware her eyes were watering. She bit back the tears, 'Can't... mess up my makeup... He'll probably get mad...' "This dinner is for you, not I."

She blinked in confusion, but the dog demon simply turned away, "I will be waiting in the car." She shook her head, grabbing her purse, keys, and quickly went out to join him.

-:-

_THE PALE DRAGON_

Having a bit of deja vu, Rin clung to Sesshomaru as they walked through a large archway, wanting to hide behind him from the other youkai in the courtyard. The architecture around her reminded her of some of the images in the books Kaede handed her, particularly the ones around the feudal era. The restaurant building itself seemed like a mansion, the courtyard had a good amount of tables spread across the front-and as much as she would love to enjoy the scenery of a place she may not see ever again—she could not help but feel the eyes of every one on them, questioning.

Inside it wasn't any better, the commotion she heard from outside its doors vanished the moment the two of them entered. The restaurant was _packed_ , but Sesshomaru's presence just stilled the life inside. A hostess appeared immediately,

"Welcome back, milord! Your guests have been seated. Allow me to lead you-"

"That won't be necessary." Sesshomaru cut off the hostess, turning to the back, way back of the restaurant. Rin tensed having to pass every single table, until they got to a doorway. He opened the door and allowed her in first. Her eyes nervously took in the spacious room, heavily decorated with a large round table in the middle, occupied by no one she recognized...? 'Wait, is that Abi?'

"Long time no see, Rin." The bird demoness acknowledged her, before taking a sip of the red wine in front of her.

"About time you got here, I'm starving!" A blue-eyed, tan male youkai exclaimed as they both sat, Sesshomaru sending a glare his way.

"Kouga..." The redhead next to him warned, before she pinched his upper arm.

"Hey!"

"Kouga is the northern lord, and his mate Ayame." Sesshomaru started the introductions. She actually never saw the northern 'lord' in her life, and only knew he was a wolf youkai, she didn't imagine him so expressive. He gestured towards Abi, "You know her." Then to a female youkai with ice-blue hair and a large, stocky male with... horns, 'Bull horns?' "This is Toran, leader of the panther tribe and her mate, Yoshiro."

"And you are the last human descendant of Ryukotsusei's bloodline?" Rin gave the bluenette woman who spoke a bewildered look. She hadn't gotten to the book about her family history yet, but she suspected the panther just dropped a major spoiler. 'I'm... WHAT?'

"Hey, _hey_! Food first." Kouga interrupted, earning a laugh from the bull youkai.

"Yes, I agree with the wolf."

With a flick of Sesshomaru's wrist, many waiters and waitresses bustled in the room, setting down bowls and plates of delicious smelling food. A few carried some bottles of wine, filling glasses with everyone's favorite. Until they got to her, "Which wine would the lady prefer? Or is there something else you'd like?" And she realized she had nothing to write on or with. And her tablet was left behind in Sesshomaru's car. She didn't want wine, but didn't mind it too much and not wanting to cause any trouble, picking the white wine that Yoshiro also happened to be drinking.

"So..." Kouga started, swallowing a large piece of meat he was working on. And then taking a swig of whiskey. "I heard you got Ryu's panties in a bunch the other day." Rin concluded that Kouga was drastically different from his counter-parts. "What'd you do?"

Rin swung her eyes over to Sesshomaru, hoping he would answer for her—or say anything, really. "She can't speak, did you forget already?" Abi was the one who spoke up.

"Oh, shit. That's right." Rin blinked at the profanity. "Well, how is she going to talk to us?!" A waiter hurried in, passing over a tablet and digital pen to her before disappearing again. She wrote, 'I didn't give him what he wanted.'

Kouga nodded, "That's a great way to piss him off."

"And get yourself killed." Ayame added, with a frown.

"It would get us all killed either way." Toran replied after finishing up her first glass of rose wine.

"Honey, there is no need to bring everyone down." Yoshiro's voice was deep, but soft. "We've dealt with this before."

"Things were a whole lot of different back then." Abi grumbled, snapping her fingers for a refill.

'They know...' Rin thought as she watched the exchanges. 'They know why I am here. This isn't some gathering of corrupts like Fantasia.' She looked at Sesshomaru again, who was quietly observing his dinner guests through his wine glass. He set the glass down and met her gaze, perhaps waiting for her to do or say something, but she wasn't sure what she wanted to ask first. _"This dinner is for you, not I."_ 'That's it? He needs no convincing for this? _Do any of them do_?' If that was the case, it was a huge weight off her shoulders.

"Yes, there were quite a few more of us..." Ayame started, "Many of them gone now-"

"Are all the women going to start being depressing now?" Kouga flatly asked, interrupting his mate.

Ayame elbowed him in the side, ignoring his groan of pain, "-but their teachings haven't faded. We should be able to gather the youkai necessary for this."

Rin's eyes softened and she gave Sesshomaru a smile before turning her attention back to the table, ignoring Abi's raised eyebrow. "Ryukotsusei will not go down without a fight." Yoshiro said.

"I can handle Ryukotsusei." Sesshomaru stated, his first real words for the conversation. "His followers are an issue. Their numbers continue to grow..."

"And if they find out we are trying to seal the dragon jewel again, no doubt they will rebel. They'll call us human apologists and think we have become the miko's dogs. Bunch of fools." Abi sneered, "They don't see Ryukotsusei doesn't give a damn about their lives."

"Oh well. We'll just take care of them." Kouga shrugged, "Its their right to give their lives away."

"Most of these people are innocent and don't realize they have another choice!" Ayame exclaimed.

"What?! They do! Stop working for the bastard, get the hell out of his lands, and join us!" Kouga fired back.

The redhead crossed her arms, "I don't mean to offend Lord Sesshomaru, but those people, many who still remember how you all were just centruies ago, don't see a difference between you-" She pointed at Kouga, "Him." then Sesshomaru, "That spider, and Ryukotsusei."

"Its true." Toran agreed, "To them, you are all one of the same. They simply choose what they believe is the lesser evil." Those words caused Rin to drop her gaze down to her lap, a frown pulling her lips down. She knew exactly how that felt.

"I am nothing like him." Kouga started, pointing at the dog demon. "And we are sure as hell nothing like that lunatic dragon or that gross spider. Ugh. We're veering off-topic here."

"Are we? The opinion of our people is very important, someone as... _charismatic_ as Ryukotsusei can easy turn your own against you, especially if you do something they don't want." Abi responded, clearing her second glass.

"Like what? Killing Ryukotsusei? I think everyone aside from his delusional lackeys want that."

"No, I said it before. Helping humans. Sealing away a powerful, ancient power that a daiyoukai is capable of using to bring youkai back to the top of the world. Very easy to twist." Abi mocked, "Kouga, why would you help cripple your people in such a way? Why protect the humans after everything they have done that we completely did not deserve at all? Etc, etc."

"My people are happy. They wouldn't ask such stupid questions." Kouga grumbled, before popping a cubed beef in his mouth.

"Happy?!" It was Abi who raised her voice, "You forget what I do, Kouga. I know nearly a third of your people in the mountains are _starving_." Ayame looked to the side, brows scrunched up and eyes slanted down. She appeared ashamed, but not surprised. The others, however, did.

"That's none of your fucking business!" The wolf youkai growled, slamming a fist down on the table. Ayame placed her hand on top, a small attempt to quell her mate's anger, before addressing the phoenix.

"I know, but it is not due to lack of trying, Abi. We lost a few of our farmlands out in the country to a coporate buyout. While those in the city fair well, those in the mountains do not want to live like modern humans. They rather starve."

Abi waved it off, "I'm not saying you two weren't trying. I'm just stating that... They have good reason to leave. They don't want to give up or adapt their lifestyle and Ryu is going to exploit that with a bunch of bullshit promises. That's a good chunk of our people that we can't have going and following that dragon."

"Then we don't give them reason to." Toran stated, "With Lord Sesshomaru's permission, we have plenty of food we can provide from our fields. Too much, in fact. I'm sure it can feed most of those in need and begin ensuring their loyalty to us."

"Then it is done." Sesshomaru replied, surprising Rin and the wolf couple by the looks of it.

"So, next thing we need to do is to get Sesshomaru a personality transplant to make him at least slightly less scary and somewhat likeable." Abi said so seriously that Rin couldn't stop the giggle that escaped her.

"Yeah, why don't you just be a quiet cute like that pretty girl you got there instead of... being.. you know..." Kouga searched for a word...

"Cold? Murderous?" Abi offered.

"Demanding? Arrogant?" Toran added, a teasing edge to her voice. Her mate wisely stayed quiet. He must have noticed the ever-so-slight twitching of Sesshomaru's left brow.

"Yeah, those. Just be more like your old man or something." Kouga said off-handy, before taking a bite out of another piece of meat. Rin _visibly_ saw Sesshomaru's anger, his tight jaw, narrowed eyes aflame, flashing red.

"And Kouga's dead." Abi stated, raising her fourth(...?) glass. "It was nice knowing you, wolfie."

"That is enough on this matter. We are here to discuss the jewel and nothing further."

"Alright, fine... Your mom still around?" Kouga asked, and Abi planted her face on the table, laughing.

"Are you _trying_ to get him to kill you?"

"The lady is still around, Kouga, but..." Yoshiro offered to reply kindly but Sesshomaru took the reins regardless.

"We are not on speaking terms."

"Oh." The wolf youkai downed his cup of whiskey, requesting more. "Don't we kind of need her?"

"She was there the last time the seal was enforced. In fact, I believe she played an important part of it. Her expertise in barriers and sealant magic would be invaluable." Yoshiro expanded.

"Unless we want to go to _Naraku_ for that stuff." Abi sneered, before gesturing towards a waiting waiter. "Do you have anything stronger than wine?"

"The hanyou will be more likely to assist us than my mother, if only to weaken the dragon."

" _Jeez_ , _realllyy_? What the hell did you-" Ayame hit her mate, hard, _very hard_ , over the head.

"Stop asking personal questions to Lord Sesshomaru!" She hissed.

"Damn it, that actually hurt!" The wolf youkai growled, rubbing the back of his head.

"You deserve it!"

Toran began chuckling at the two, "I miss this."

"Ayame beating her husband?" Abi asked, now with a fresh shot of tequila in her hands. "Its classic."

The panther let out a laugh, "No, not exactly, but meeting together like this for a common goal, for our people. Its been awhile."

"Too bad Naraku is gonna ruin it. Do we have to ask him?" Abi whined, looking at Sesshomaru. "You know he is a _complete_ bastard that you were about to get rid of any way. Look at what we got going on here, its good so far. Inukimi really won't help us?"

"No, and that is the end of it." His demand was sharp. Rin found it so strange that Sesshomaru appeared to have no love for either of his parents. 'But they were together on the council before... wonder what happened...' She also wondered how their plan for Naraku will fit in all of this. They may have to delay...

Abi blinked at his aggressive tone, "Alright, alright..." She was quiet for a moment, before she asked. "What about your brother?"

'If looks could kill, Abi would be on the floor by now.' Rin thought, shocked by murderous stare. 'No love for _any_ of his family...' The human couldn't help but think how sad that was. Yes, she had... serious... issues with her father, but her mother's love helped through that, even after she was gone, especially after.

"Look, it ain't my fault you have a family of, like, _endless_ power, and they all can do these extravagant things." And she was starting to think Abi was drunk... She did a lot awfully fast. "We need youkai—and hanyous now, _I guess_ -who can do extravagant things, your brother's sword is pretty fancy. Might help with something. Like Ryukotsusei. He did it once."

"We're getting dog-breath involved now?"

"No."

"Thank the gods." Kouga praised before stuffing some noddles in his mouth.

"You have barely eaten, is everything alright?" Yoshiro asked Rin, bringing the attention she didn't want at all and had been successfully avoiding. Rin nodded, she hadn't meant to eat so little, she was just... so distracted and absorbed in the conversations. These youkai didn't really seem all that bad-

"She's been too busy staring at pretty boy to worry about something so _insignificant_ like eating, Yoshi." Abi said, finishing off another drink. Rin felt her face heat up, and she mentally cursed Abi for saying anything-

"Abi, that's not nice. You embarrassed her." Toran scolded, though there was a knowing smile on the panther's lips. Rin realized her sneaking glances at Sesshomaru, trying to catch any change in his expressions as the group spoke, did not go unnoticed by the rest. Her blush deepened, 'Sesshomaru probably knows I kept looking at him too.' She just was trying to figure him out, it wasn't because he's handsome!

"No more drinks for this one." Yoshiro told the main waiter, pointing at the bird youkai next to him.

"Hey! You can't do that!"

"Don't you need to sneak out of here, then sneak back into Naraku's territory?" Kouga asked.

"Yeah, and I can! Just gotta fly out of here."

"Can you even fly straight right now?"

Abi stared the wolf youkai before crossing her arms, "...Maybe."

"I'm sorry to interrupt..." The head waiter started, bowing before continuing, "Will the Lords and their guests be having dessert tonight?"

"Hell yes." The phoenix replied, hand in the air. The waiter seemed to not want to take Abi's answer...

"Yes, we will. Thank you." Yoshiro answered. The waiter bowed once more and walked away.

"Well, Rin... Its Rin, right?" Kouga started. She reluctantly nodded, wondering where _this_ was going to go. "You get to go back to the Mikos, say they have our support, and you didn't even have to say a single word-"

"She _can't_ say a word." Abi interrupted.

"I _know_ that."

"Then _why_ did you-"

"Dammit Abi! Its just an expression!" Rin covered her mouth in an attempt to hide her grin and stifle her giggles, but in a room full of youkai, that was impossible. "Look at this. Now we're just a joke now. Its your fault, Abi!"

"What?!" The bird youkai exclaimed but stopped when a line of servers entered with various different plates of dango, sakuramochi, uiro, Wasabon, and... 'No. Way.' A pretty, decorated stainless steel frozen container of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

Everyone, with the exception of Sesshomaru, who sat oddly still, began grabbing pieces of dessert, and Rin noticed no one touched the ice cream. 'Do none of them like ice cream? Why did they serve it then? How strange!' She served herself a small bowl, and immediately noticed the others got strangely quiet...

"You're actually letting her have that?" Abi was, of course, the first to speak.

"Shut. Up." She didn't understand what the big deal was... unless... 'Is that suppose to be for him?' She gave him a questioning look, but he did not meet her eyes. The young woman shrugged and just ate, if he wasn't going to stop her then why stop? The rest of the table eased,

"I need to steal your chef." Toran broke the silence first, "Every thing was amazing, like always."

"Can we have him with the food?" Kouga joked, Ayame promptly elbowed his side again.

"Call me tomorrow afternoon about the food." Toran told the wolf couple, "I should know by then how much we can give and we'll talk about how to ship it over, discreetly, of course."

"Yes, we will. Thank you Toran..." Ayame then turned to the dog demon. "And thank you as well, Lord Sesshomaru." She paused, then glanced at her mate who was still popping pieces of steam cake in his mouth, oblivious. "Kouga..."

"Hmm?" The she-wolf gestured towards Sesshomaru. "What?"

"You are impossible." The redhead sighed, sinking into her seat.

"Okay, okay... Ffftt-an-s Sesshomaru." The last part was quite muffled by all the tiny cakes he shoved in his mouth at the moment.

The dinner came to a close at that point. Sesshomaru had to send another bird youkai with Abi to ensure she got out of his territory with ease. The others thanked Sesshomaru for the dinner and went their separate ways. When Rin was siting in the leather seat of Sesshomaru's sports car, she was smiling, curling the lock of loose hair around her finger. 'That... that all wasn't so bad.'

"You had fun." Rin thought about it, and... 'I guess I did.' She nodded at the daiyoukai, though there a few things that were nagging her.

She slipped out her tablet and began typing, "How did you know that I needed to talk to you about this?"

"Abi caught the ruptures from the jewel on her aviation instruments, along with Ryukotsusei's increased harassment, it was not hard to guess."

"I thought it was going to be some huge debate..."

"If there was a council, you only met with what would be about a third of it. The more irritating ones were not present."

Well, that did sound about right. Kaguya is still around so she would probably be included, and she knew from experience she wasn't too pleasant, they had to go and talk to Naraku (not something she was up for), if there were more, she didn't know of them. With a small smirk, she resolved to point out a very glaring fact revealed tonight.

"Takahashi and you like the same ice cream." And she watched him _very_ carefully. He blinked, but didn't move. His body seemingly tense. If it had been anyone else, she would thought nothing of it. "Hn." Was all he said. So she stayed staring at him, hoping her large, wide eyes would unnerve him. It was almost a game, except she knew she had already won but Sesshomaru did not. Maybe.

Because she had a nagging feeling about Takahashi since the last time she saw him. Because the similarities between the two were astounding, and when something so random like favorite ice cream flavors ended up lining up, she knew. The golden eyes she saw that drunken night were real. "You are staring." Her smile was slow, but her gaze did not waver. He looked at her for just a moment. "Again." Rin giggled, going back to her tablet.

"You, sir, are a liar." She should probably be angry, but her night was too fun to be angry right now. Rin could see and understand his reasoning for wanting to keep his human identity a secret, she was more miffed that he probably thought she would do something with it. She didn't care about his human identity, and she wasn't just going to tell the world. Why would she do that?

"How so...?"

She huffed, typing "You know exactly how!"

"I do not recall explicitly lying about myself." His tone almost sounded like teasing.

She stuck the tip of her tongue out playfully, "How convenient!"

-:-

There were many times throughout the night that he about lost his patience, but he kept it reigned in, unwilling to lose his temper in front of Rin and what could be the start of a new council. (The ice cream nearly pushed him off the edge, how he could forget something so simple?) The meeting went smoothly for the most part, far smoother than the last ones he attended centuries ago which involved snarling, high tempers, and flying furniture. He glanced at the human woman in the passenger seat, humming softly as she fiddled with her technology.

He was expecting the typical rage over being deceived, his favorite dessert had done him in and had her connect his human identity to his true daiyoukai self. But she only laughed, stuck her tongue, and continued on as if nothing. The woman was... very forgiving—and it made little sense to him.

"How can we trust Naraku to help us?" Gods, he hated the tablet. The robotic sound grated his hearing.

"We cannot, but unless we can find another with such expertise, we have no other option."

Rin typed something, but appeared to lose her nerve and removed it all without letting the machine speak, before she turned her attention to the side window. The ride was silent until they reached her home. The woman gathered the long-length of chiffon before trying to step out of his low vehicle, he offered his hand and she accepted, pulling her up to her feet with ease. She awarded him with a shy smile before making their way to her door. He wasn't anticipating her inviting him inside, but he remembered the deal about the earrings and assumed she was making a move to return them.

Instead, she grabbed a pad of paper, quickly jotting down. 'Will you answer my questions now?'

"You are not tired?"

'Are you?'

"No." He wasn't. He shouldn't. "I will." Rin gave him a large smile, a little noise of excitement that reflected on her aura as she put her things down and went to get changed... And then ran back, pointing at the rear of the dress with a helpless look. He may have used a complicated knot to fasten the bodice... "You need help to get undressed?" Her cheeks blushed a pretty pink, and she wagged an warning finger at him with amused eyes, before she turned her back to him and pointed at the dress again.

Mindful of his claws, he began undoing the knot, taking his time much to her displeasure. She slipped away from his hands when he finished, bowing her head in thanks before running off, the sound of her heels clicking until she got to her room. His attention drifted back to the book still sitting on her coffee table.

The one on the top of the stack was about him, that he pushed away to look at the others. The next one was a book about her family history, he suspected she might not enjoy what she will find there. The third was a book about inuyoukai behavior. He was curious as to why she picked this. Perhaps she thought it would help negotiations with him?

He opened the book, flipping through its contents quickly. It went over hierarchy of packs and pack behavior, hunting techniques, how inu youkai communicated through touch and scent, various traditions and rituals such as mating and courting, and a few tales important to their culture... Most of the content he skimmed through was surprisingly correct. Whatever human had written this had done their research.

He moved on to the next one, and couldn't stop his jaw from tightening. A book about his father and his accomplishments. He nearly tossed it aside before looking at the last one, a book about healing issues with the eyes, ears, and... throat. The first few pages revealed to him she would need a miko's touch for most of the techniques. The daiyoukai briefly wondered what would her voice sound like...

'HEY!' Sesshomaru blinked at the pad suddenly in his vision, he had been too lax and distracted, not noticing the human woman had made her way to his side. The young woman was dressed in a soft-looking tank and small shorts with little dogs on them. She grabbed one of his hands and led him to her bedroom.

He tried to ignore the scent in her bedroom, it hit him the same way it had earlier despite being prepared for it. The scent was embedded in the walls, the fibers of her bed and the carpet-he smelled her despair. She spent far too many days in this room crying, bleeding... How could the woman still lay here, or live in the house for that matter? Did her memories not torment her?

She only hopped into her bed with her pad and pen, oblivious to his silence, covering her lower body with her pale blue comforter and began writing. When he didn't move, she stopped, looked at him with an inviting smile before tapping the empty side of her bed and continued on. He concluded it wouldn't hurt to get comfortable. After removing his blazer, shoes and loosening his tie, he laid on top the covers beside her and momentarily shut his eyes, attempting to focus on her active, true scent in the now, not the past in her room.

"You are not angry?" It still nagged him, her minimal reaction earlier in the car. Human women were not known to let go of things easily, if his brother's troubles were anything to go by.

She momentarily switched to another paper, 'No. I was a annoyed a bit but...' She sighed, 'If I had a real problem with you, I would have left 'Takahashi' that morning and never come back.' Rin paused, suddenly sitting up straight then shot him a flat look before viciously writing, 'You didn't have to kiss me that night, you could have just flown us away!'

"Humans don't fly." Sesshomaru replied, "And I don't recall hearing any complaints at the time." Her cheeks blushed a bright red, shaking her head vigorously before throwing the entire comforter over her body, hiding her embarrassment. He almost chuckled at the display, listening to her pen scribbling on the paper.

Rin returned to her previous position, this time her face blush-free, then handing him the paper pad. The first question did not surprise him, age was usually the first thing humans asked. "Over 800 years." The next jumped right into his weapons, but not his offensive ones. "Yes, I carry a blade that does not cut. It heals." He was not going to elaborate. He intended to continue keeping Tensaiga's resurrection ability hidden from humans, even only a handful of his people and his family were aware of its power.

The daiyoukai did not mind the questions of his previous conquests (appeared she had already read a bit on his history), getting a bit lost in the nostalgia of when he, lawfully, ruled over a vast part of the country, when his reign extended past the shore and to the lower islands. It was simpler then, the humans were only a minor problem and he only had to deal with 2 other demon lords. 'What really happened to youkai?' A very board question, with too many answers.

"Humans began to reproduce at extreme rates, becoming stronger against illness and literacy becoming more common across all classes. The youkai birthrate was beginning to suffer as more and more youkai spent all their time raping human women instead of taking care of their own, leaving an abundant amount of abandoned hanyou children—that is when the true problems began to arise. Regardless, most youkai refused to change, to acknowledge the looming threat of your species, and I... was one of those for a long time. It was not until one of my islands fell into human-rule, _willingly_ , that I saw a glimpse of what was to come."

"Instead of fighting and losing more of our people, I and the eastern demon lord swallowed our pride and agreed to approach the humans with an idea of peace between our species. When word spread about our meetings, it fractured our lands and our people on both sides. There was simply too much bad blood between us all. It would take centuries for a peace treaty to finally be drafted and passed, only to fail due to those who refused to leave the past behind."

Through old money, now, he still controlled quite a bit—but the situation was far different. His people either lived hidden among the rest of humans, cramped but free within his territory in the city or alone in secret, among themselves, far out into the country. Aside from Kouga, he was the only lord with territory outside the city lines but the reasoning for that was simply that the majority of humans choose to not live on mountains and the settlements around the city were still quite small. Regardless, it granted his people a way to live life a bit more closely to how it was before, even if it meant being cut off of most modern civilization.

He reached the last question, though the woman had scribbled it off—His throat was dry; how long had he been speaking now? When was the last time he spoke so much?-He still could read it. It was a question about his family. Of course, she would be curious. He may hide his thoughts and feelings well, but not when it came to _them_.

"My father was a fleeting existence in my life., appearing only to criticize." Why was he answering this? She crossed it out. She backed down from it. Even if she hadn't, he had no obligation to answer. "My mother is insufferable-" He tried to reason that he knew such an intimate, dark part of her life, it would only be fair to shed a tiny light on his. "-and my half-brother is reckless and ungrateful." But he was not willing to spill more than that.

He saw her from the corner of his vision, her eyebrows scrunched with concern and lips pulled into a frown. In her eyes... Pity. From a mute, abused human woman-child. 'Wonderful.' Sesshomaru's mind sneered as he put down the pad between them and made a move to stand.

Rin stopped him, wanting to tell him something—but he did not want to read it. He spent too much time here, he spoke and said far too much for his liking—and he could not phantom the reason why. But Rin was not having it, she dropped on her weight on him (as ineffective that may be, he still paused) as she continued scribbling on her paper before putting it clear in his vision. She was persistent as always. It did not bother him as it should have.

'You look tired. Sleep.' He was relieved, if not a bit surprised, she hadn't written 'I'm sorry', 'That's terrible', or anything along those lines in an attempt to be sympathetic. Aside from that, inviting him to stay was highly unusual. He read the next line, written in awfully tiny letters. 'And I'm a bit scared of being alone tonight...'

"Of what?" And why would his company be any less 'scary'?

Rin got off of him, then drew something that appeared to be a dragon, he surmised, with a stick figure in its jaws. It was ridiculous. He raised a brow, "You are aware I am capable of the same." She tapped the end of the pencil on her chin, then nodded. 'But you are different.' She wrote. He was unsure if that was a good thing. Her eyes then became pleading, clasping her hands in front of her—what was going on through her mind to ask him, personally, for protection? He had been far too nice with the girl...

As if on cue, his sharp hearing heard something rustling outside her window, too big to be a stray animal of some sort. He caught the sense of a faint, weak aura near. His eyes hardened, the woman's fears may come to be true tonight. Rin gave a perplexed look. He rose from her bed, with a curt command telling her to stay put.

-:-

Rin pulled the covers around her tight as the daiyoukai left, feeling vulnerable without the calm blanket of his youki in her room. She chewed on her bottom lip, wondering, again, if what she was doing was wise. If she could trust him to lock away a powerful artifact, she should be able to trust him around her, right? 'No, those are very different things.' She resolved, 'One is a threat, I'm probably just an annoyance.'

The young woman jumped from the bed at the thunder that cracked outside her window. Shaking, she peered through the glass into the dark night. There was no rain, no wind, no storm. 'Where...?' She saw a youkai in the skies, she remembered him. Hiten. His brother is more likely around some-

"Well, well, look at you." Rin fought against the iron grip of the youkai that snuck up behind her. It was his brother, Manten. "You know, Ryukotsusei just wants you alive—no reason why I can't have a little fun with you first. " She screamed against the hand that covered her mouth, as the other hand roughly grabbed one of her breasts. Lighting struck outside, the daiyoukai must be busy with Hiten. She bit down as hard as she could, piercing the ugly, pale skin. The youkai let her go and roared in pain, and she used that moment to escape into the kitchen, grabbing a large, chef knife, the only weapon left in the house. "You will pay for that, girl!"

Rin held the knife threateningly in front of her, trying to calm her racing heart as the large demon waddled to her. She didn't want to, she didn't want to hurt or kill anyone. Her father was enough, why couldn't that be enough? "Now, put that down. We don't want you hurting yourself..." She tightened her grip on the wooden handle, wincing at the thunder cackling loudly enough to shake her walls. He charged at her that moment, she dodged and blindly swiped at him, only slashing through the tail of braided hair behind him.

"What... My hair..." Manten looked devastated, picking up the small lock of hair on the floor. "You..." His hands turned into fists, and his eyes began to glow. "You ruined my hair!" His large jaw began to open, a bright ball of energy forming in his mouth. Rin paled and ran out her front door, a stream of lighting exploded right behind her and through her entire home.

'No, no, no...' The house began to crumble under its destroyed walls. Manten escaped high above on a black cloud. He prepared another attack, one she mostly dodged, a touch of lighting lightly singeing her arm. "Where are you!?" Rin tried catching her breath, her back against Sesshomaru's car. It won't be long until- "There you are!" He gargled, another attack already prepped to fire. She tried to run; the bolt hitting the vehicles in the driveway, resulting in a small explosion that threw her across the yard.

Rin groaned as she tried to sit up, her bare legs taking some damage from the force. When she looked ahead, the thunder youkai was already prepped for another attack. She can't avoid this one, she knows this. His jaw opened as wide as he is able, until a whip of light cuts clean through his mouth.

The young woman muffled her scream behind her hands, as the black cloud dissipated, the youkai's body and partly severed head fell to the ground not far from her. There was so much blood, just pouring from the body. The hands on her mouth moved to rub her shaking shoulders, she looked away from the grotesque scene, her eyes landing on her savior, Sesshomaru. He was injured, a burn across his shoulder, but he didn't seem to particularly care about it, walking up to her with his usual cold demeanor.

'He killed him so easily...' Rin thought, 'So quickly...' It was terrifying. The youkai nearly killed her, she being absolutely powerless against him, and Sesshomaru just took care of the ugly demon with a flick of his wrist. When he extended a hand to help her up, Rin hesitated. Now she had the sense to be truly afraid of him, someone who could kill so effortlessly, without a flinch...

The woman swallowed thickly, 'And likes colorful margaritas and cookie dough ice cream.' She reminded herself, 'And _saved you_.' Her hand was trembling when she accepted his, aware of how he minded his claws to not cut her unintentionally, how he brought her up gently with ease, how his cold gaze flickered to her small cuts and mild burns...

"We must go." And how he wouldn't leave her behind.

Her eyes traveled to her crumpled home. She didn't care about the walls, but she doubted the photos of her mother, when her life was bright and much less complicated, survived that blast. Now, she had nothing left from happy times. 'You can always make new ones.' The stronger, more optimistic part of her mind reasoned, 'You need to.' Rin bit down on her bottom lip, trying to blink away the sadness.

Sirens. They were still ways off, but the chances there would be a Demon Slayers or even a Miko in that unit were high. Rin startled when the daiyoukai held her close, "Hold on to me." She did what she was told, feeling as her choices at the moment were very limited, and without warning, the daiyoukai took off into the sky.

They landed in a dark alley not too far from the apartment he had taken her to downtown as Takahashi. When her gaze turned to him again, that was who he was. It didn't hide the blood-soaked, injured shoulder—but they didn't need to walk far. Once inside uninterrupted, though they did get a few curious looks in the lobby, the daiyoukai blinded the large windows immediately before letting his disguise melt away.

'Ah, I'm filthy...' Rin thought, looking down at her torn shorts and the dirt and dry blood that stained her skin. She didn't get seriously hurt—thanks to the daiyoukai—but could use a bath, and clothes... "Go shower. Grab whatever you can wear from the bedroom." She turned her attention back to him, blinking at his suddenly bare upper body as he trashed his damaged tops.

The young woman soon frowned, her concern overrode all else. The wound was blistering, some bits of skin appeared completely charred and dead, the swelling, the spots of yellow, purple-She wasn't any youkai, and didn't know much about how they healed, 'Would he be alright?'

"It will heal." Rin jumped, the sound of his voice interrupting her thoughts. She nodded, then scurried to the bedroom, deciding on a pair of silk boxers and a soft white tee. When she switched over to the bathroom, she heard him speaking on the phone, though about what she couldn't make out. She didn't stay as long as she wanted to under the rainfall shower set up the bath had, knowing Sesshomaru will have to clean his wound in there.

Once she was finished, Rin went straight back into the bedroom and dove right into the bed, the events of the day finally catching up to her body and mind. 'It could have been worse...' She thought, 'I have the help of some youkai for the jewel... and I didn't die.' Out of habit, she rolled herself into a blanket burrito and nuzzled against one of the many large, soft pillows. 'I wonder if I'll be able to salvage anything?'

Some part of her hoped not, hoped that everything in the blast just burned. 'There was nothing left there but bad memories...' The young woman frowned at her thoughts, 'And some good ones... but maybe this is for the best. Maybe it was just time to move somewhere else.' Unfortunately, two raging demons from Ryukotsusei made that decision for her. 'What am I going to do now? I have no where to live, and Ryukotsusei is getting impatient...'

She moved around facing the inner side of the king-sized bed, her mind also switching gears. 'I have to tell Kagome and Kaede about tonight and get back to the shrine. Hmm, I can't text them though... Maybe I can get Sesshomaru to call for me? Ugh, and my car is fried. I'm going to need a new one...'

Rin was surprised when the daiyoukai dropped himself beside her, already showered and his wound dressed. 'How did he...? Oh, it doesn't matter.' She began to unravel herself a bit with the intention of giving him some of the covers, but he stopped her. That's when she noticed he actually looked a bit tired, 'Healing must be draining.' Comforted by his presence, Rin found herself drifting off into a deep sleep.

-:-

"They are... dead, sir." The lower youkai squeaked, bowing as low as he could go to the dragon daiyoukai.

"Dead...?" Ryukotsusei started, before taking a sip of sake. In his office at the hotel, Exalted Sea Resort, the dragon went through the happenings of the evening while he was away. "Dead. Dead trying to capture a young, mute, frail, human woman?"

"T-that is what our scouts report, yes. The Demon Slayers got there fairly quickly so the scout was unable to approach... He did note that there was another car in the driveway, an expensive one. She had a guest."

"A guest...?" The dragon rubbed his chin, "Sweet Rin had a guest, and I knew nothing about this?"

"S-sir, m-milord, the scout had stepped away but a moment to send out the district report asked of him. It was that moment she had stepped out."

"Hmm..." He'll have to kill him later. "And what of the bodies? The Slayers took them away, I presume?"

"Yes, we have men tracking where they are being stored as we speak, sir. Once they have the opportunity, they will retrieve the corpses. Ah, and a few more things, Lord Kouga has returned."

"Wonderful." Ryukotsusei stated, spinning once around his office chair. "It was starting to get boring around here without his usual crassness. Continue."

"And Bankotsu is having some kind of party...? It appears you have been invited. I have not opened the invitation, should I, milord?"

"No, give it here." The band of seven rarely held any kind of events. The dragon sliced open the envelope, revealing a matte blue card, inviting him to... Jankotsu's birthday of all things. 'No.' While he admired their bloodthirstiness despite being a pack of humans, and they had proven their usefulness to him a few times, he was not about to attend _that_ man's birthday party. And why did an immortal man _insist_ on such a pointless tradition? The foolishness of it all was enough to already anger him.

Ryukotsusei was about to order his servant to send a gift and inform the band he could not make it until he read... Entertainment by the Women of SHIKON and the Men of Hakurei. 'Its been awhile since I have seen her dance...' A wicked smile played on his lips as he handed the card back to his servant. "I will be attending. Insure I have a gift for... Jankotsu."

"Yessir! I'll pencil it in."

**End of Chapter 8**


	9. Giving Up, Giving In

 

'Thoughts/Rin's writing'

_Flashbacks_

Original Publish Date: 3/4/2017

_NEXT MORNING_

Rin groaned slowly as she awoke, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She over-slept, she realized, glancing at the digital clock that told her it was one in the afternoon. Sesshomaru appeared to still be sleeping. She rolled out of bed, then gently covered most of the daiyoukai's body with the covers, mentally patting herself on the back when he didn't stir. She tip-toed out of the room, and shut the door softly. Making her way to the kitchen, she found that he had absolutely nothing.

Rin pouted as her stomach growled. 'I really should have eaten more last night...' She gasped when she heard the front door opening, a short man walked in with boxes towered high in his small arms. "Milord?!" She grabbed the man's beak-like mouth, using her other hand to tell the man to be quiet. The young woman let him go when he attempted to speak, "Who are you?! Where is Lord Sesshomaru?" He harshly whispered.

She helped him with the boxes, putting them down nearby then making a sleeping gesture to the man. "Lord Sesshomaru does not sleep, especially not here, especially not this late, and especially not in the presence of strange women! Now who are you and what have you done with-!?" A pillow perfectly sniped the short man in the head, dropping him to the floor. When she looked at its source down the hall, she smiled at the approaching daiyoukai.

"Jaken. Get up." The short man appeared to actually be a frog youkai of some sort, the pillow attack had knocked his disguise right off. "Have you brought everything?"

"Y-yes, milord." The kappa stood on unsteady legs, "Though there is some correspondence awaiting you back at the castle." ' _Castle?_ ' Rin thought, bewildered. 'He has a _castle_? How does one keep a castle a secret?'

"Very well. You are dismissed." The kappa appeared to want to question something, but a glare from the daiyoukai shot him down and he left the apartment. The daiyoukai grabbed only one box, "The rest are yours." He stated before sitting down at the breakfast bar.

'Mine?' Rin opened one box and found the ancient books she had borrowed from Kaede. 'They've gone through the rumble already? These survived?' The next box held fresh, new clothing for her in the soft, pastel colors she frequently wore. 'He noticed...? Probably just a coincidence.' Her heart stopped at the last box, a partly burnt binder, the one that held the last photos of her family.

Rin slipped out the binder, opened it with careful hands. Some soot spilled with each turn as she searched for a particular photo... 'There it is!' Rin pulled the photo of her and her mother, white lilies in their hair, smiling brightly at the camera with tears of relief flooding her eyes. The corner was burnt a bit, but aside from that, it was fine! She quickly put the photo back, and dashed into the bedroom with the box of clothing. She slipped into the simple racerback tank and jeans before checking the time.

'Ah, gotta go to work! But I don't have a car...' She sighed, walking back into the living room, 'The bus it is then.' But what then afterward? 'Maybe I can crash with one of the girls until I can get a place...?' Rin's gaze traveled up the back of the suited daiyoukai, now in his human disguise. As feeling her eyes on him, he met them over his shoulder,

"Do you work today?" She nodded, absently organizing the boxes in a way that would be easier to carry. "I cannot take you, but Jaken can. He is waiting for you in the front." Rin smiled up at the man and nodded her thanks. As she gathered everything in her hands, he spoke again, "... Do you have a place to stay?"

'Still need to work that out...' But she nodded all the same. That was for her to worry about. He had done enough for her. "If you need refuge, you are welcomed here." The woman blinked in surprise, before smiling wide again. She mouthed 'Thank you' before she made her way out the door.

-:-

"The club will be closed Friday night." Kuromaru started, standing in front of all of the 'higher-tier' women at SHIKON, including herself, Kagome, Sango, and Yura. The announcement brought a mumbling throughout the group. "Bankotsu has hired us as the female entertainment for one of his friend's birthday parties. You don't have to attend necessarily, but if you don't, you simply will not get a cut. I assure you that amount is significant. It takes a fortune to shut down for a day." He crossed his arms over his chest before continuing, "Guests are people you all are familiar with, I can trust you all know how to conduct yourselves. You will be working alongside the men of Hakurei-" Some women gave a curious look and a few mumbles of confusion "-It is Jankotsu's birthday party."

"Oh, that makes sense." Yura whispered to Rin beside her.

"Further details will be discussed with those who commit to going. Just stop by my office anytime between today and closing tomorrow. You are dismissed."

"Are you three gonna go?" Yura asked as they left the private room and headed towards their changing room.

"I don't see why not. Not working on one of our busiest nights is not an option either, regardless of where it is, the way I see it..." Sango replied.

"I'll go if you guys go! Don't think I'll have the nerves to do without any of you." Kagome said with a nervous chuckle.

"What about you, Rin?" Yura asked, linking her arm around hers. "We'll be incomplete without you!" Well, how could she turn them down? Rin nodded in agreement. After all, she kind of desperately needed the cash considering she had no place to stay. 'Ugh, the Slayers are going to want to talk to me...' She thought, 'There is no way the damage at the house is going to just be a police matter.'

"Hey, Rin..." Sango started, "Can I speak to you?" The other two girls glanced at each other but before Rin followed Sango to the lockers in the back, just out of ear shot from Kagome and Yura. "I've heard _things_... I don't want to get into too much detail but..." Her voice went into a hush. "I know about the house. Is everything all right?"

'How does she know?' Rin thought, before giving a slow nod-shrug combo. Things could be worse. She could be dead.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know... I don't live too far from the club and I have enough room for you if you need a place to sleep and eat while you get everything back together." She tried not to nod too eagerly but failed seeing Sango's wide smile. The younger woman realized she never saw her smile much. "We both get off at the same time tonight luckily so I'll take there."

"Psst!" Yura interrupted, "Kuromaru wants to see Rin."

-:-

Rin sat in the chair across from Kuromaru's desk, trying not too seem to nervous as she didn't have the slightest idea what he wanted. "I assume you will be attending the party." She agreed. "Then you must know that Ryukotsusei will likely be there. No doubt he was invited at least." The young woman frowned. 'Of course.'

"It still stands that he should not harass you in any matter, especially while working for me." He shifted a bit in his seat, crossing his arms over the table as he leaned forward. "And if he does, do not hesitate to come to me or Naraku, whomever is closer. He _will_ be dealt with immediately." She gave him a slow nod, thinking that would be all... " _Has_ he done anything else?"

'Crap.' Rin wasn't 100% if she should tell him or not. Would it be too premature to get Naraku riled further about the dragon? "Be honest with me, Rin. I'm sure a nice girl like you _hates_ to lie." She pursed her lips, knowing he was referring to when she sided with the dragon. The human glanced at the pad and pen sitting on top of the desk, and Kuromaru slid them closer to her. 'Okay, maybe I can just...' She tapped the pen a few times, thinking. 'I'll have to change the story a bit...'

She wrote the dragon _possibly_ sent two demons to her home to threaten and scare her, that maybe he did because he thought she was disrespectful or didn't like how Naraku protected her, or both. She mentioned her home being destroyed in the process, that she hadn't talked to the polive yet (knowing he would ask), and was _possibly_ going to stay at Sango's.

Kuromaru narrowed his eyes as he read, "Hmm. Staying at Sango's is a good choice. She can hold her own. Do not worry about the authorities." He put the paper down, "I don't believe that's the dragon's reason. He mentioned he had a personal issue with you. Those he usually just kills. This show of strength makes no sense. You are a mute, mortal girl with no fighting experience. You are not a miko. You are not of a family of wealth and influence. In the same vein, you know _no one_ of importance and I doubt you have any blackmail on him, not that it would stop him regardless. You have zero to offer him."

The man shrugged then shook his head, "Rin, I suggest you tread carefully. Do not let your troubles with the dragon outweigh your worth to this establishment. You are dismissed."

-:-

"And we are here." Sango announced, standing in front a short apartment complex that was only about a 5-minute drive from SHIKON. "My legs are killing me, let's hurry inside." They went up the outer stairs to the 2nd floor and entered the apartment. Rin heard a soft patter of a cat's feet run up to the doorway.

"Mew!" A small cat, whose breed she couldn't even guess, hopped onto Sango's shoulders and nuzzled her cheek.

"Hey there." Sango petted the animal before turning to Rin, "Rin, this is Kirara. Kirara, this is Rin." The cat stopped, turned its large red gaze to her. Definitely, not a normal, mortal cat. Somehow, the red eyes were more cute than terrifying. "She's going to be staying with us for a bit, so be nice." The cat seemed to meow in return. Sango proceeded to show her around the comfortably-sized one-bedroom home. "There is a pull-out bed in the sofa, you can crash there. And uhm..."

Rin's growling stomach interrupted Sango's sentence and the younger women blushed in embarrassment. She hadn't eaten yet and work did not help with that! "Ah, that's right. I need to buy groceries." Rin noticed there was another room with an open doorway, with a punching bag, dumbbells, a folded-up treadmill, and other fitness products. "I wake up pretty earlier to train. I'll try not to disturb you."

Rin pulled out her pad and paper, 'Train?'

"Yeah, a bit of everything, but mostly Aikido and Judo." _She can hold her own._ Rin remembered Kuromaru saying. She wished she could do the same, being utterly helpless is a terrible feeling. She doubted that she could do any damage in close-quarters with a daiyoukai, but the confidence of knowing some self-defense seemed worthwhile.

'Do you think you can show me a bit...?'

"Don't see why not." Sango replied, "It could be fun to have a partner and I'm sure you can put the lessons to good use."

-:-

_THE NEXT AFTERNOON_

"Aye, at least a bit of hope came from that night." Kaede said, sipping a bit of freshly brew tea. "We have fortified our barriers a bit more, but I fear they won't hold up against an onslaught of dragon claws for long." She set down her cup. "Kagome still has much to learn... but perhaps she, along with some of ye blood, can try to give a bit more life into the jewel's confines. It would buy us a bit more time until this Sesshomaru speaks with Naraku."

'Are there no other mikos that can help?' Rin typed. The elder woman sighed, her wrinkled expression darkened.

"No. The majority of mikos in this day and age are trained offensively, to fight unruly youkai. The art of barriers and healing are known by few and mastered by none. There was a time when this shrine was filled with young, promising students—eager to learn, to save others. But when another report of another rogue youkai gets played, and they see a miko take them down, and the glory afterward... Well, they just decide they rather fight."

"And that doesn't always end well." Kagome joined, sitting beside Rin. "When a miko fights too much, and forgets what they fight for..."

"They turn to the darkness. And they disappear." Kaede finished, then brought the conversation back on track, "There was one priestess... She lived here just months ago. Kikyo..."

'Kikyo...' Rin thought the name sounded familiar, but she could not place it.

"She saw the potential Kagome had and brought her here. She would have been tremendous help. Was training Kagome very well. Kikyo had immense power, and was well-versed in both defensive and offensive abilities. Alas, one day she did not return from the city... A hanyou she tried to befriend and steer away from the darkness killed her, I am sure of it."

 _"This is Rin. She's Kikyo's replacement."_ Kagura's voice hit her hard, back from when she first officially met Takahashi.

"Rin, everything alright? You look pale." Kagome asked, putting a hand against her forehead. She nodded softly, pushing her friend's hand away. She couldn't dwell on that now... but she had tons of questions for Sango and Yura later.

'You said with my blood we can do something. Let's do it. Now.' She typed before rising from her seat and walking towards the jewel case sitting innocently on the counter.

"Ah well..." Kagome started, rummaging through the kitchen drawer before pulling out a sharp knife. "First, we are going to have to cut your palms, sorry." Rin took the blade and sliced both clean across without so much as a wince and stared at Kagome for further instruction, whose mouth was slack-jawed. "Uhm, ah, right. Okay. Now place your hands right against the line where the top meets the bottom here."

The miko came behind her and put her hands over her's, adjusting their place just a bit. "Okay. Now just breathe. I need to stay like this, I'm going to be transferring some energy over to you, into your hands, your blood. Everything is going to sparkle, might hurt a bit, and then its over! Just remember to keep breathing. Focus on me, or the table, the wall, something."

Rin nodded, thinking it all didn't sound as big of a deal as she thought it would be. Though, Kaede did say it was just temporary, to buy a bit more time. She started to feel a tingling sensation in her hands coming from Kagome's. It abruptly turned hot, making her flinch and the sparkles Kagome mentioned began.

A light purple glow outlined the miko's fingers, and soon her own began to glow as well, a dark red. The temperature continued to escalate, and now she was biting her lip to stop the whimpers. 'How much more?!' She felt the box vibrate under her fingertips. Her breathing labored as the pain traveled up her shaking arms, sparks began to fly from their intertwined fingers. 'Finish, finish, finish...' Rin begged, trying to ignore the hot shocks that threatened to consume her body.

A loud SNAP was the only warning before both women were pushed back by an invisible force, slamming into the table behind them. "Owww..." Kagome moaned, rubbing the small of her back. "That was... different. You are alright, Rin?"

"Hmm..." Kaede observed the jewel's case, "It may have worked."

" _May_?" Kagome mumbled, checking Rin's hands. They were a smooth pink, as if she quickly touched a hot skillet. The miko frowned, worry in her eyes. "That shouldn't have _actually_ hurt you."

"The girl has youkai blood in her, though old, diluted, with no benefits and no youki. The reaction is normal." Keade's explanation made her realize she really needed to get her butt in gear and read the book on her family history ASAP.

"Its getting late." The miko noted as orange light flooded from the open windows. "You are staying at Sango's right? I can drop you off."

The two packed themselves into Kagome's compact car and began heading back, "You know, you never explained how you were about to set up a private meeting with a youkai lord... Especially Sesshomaru."

'A friend of his.' The tablet voiced for her.

"You're friends with a dude that can get you a meeting with him so quickly?" Kagome asked, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's pretty crazy... Is it that guy you've hanging out with?"

Rin shifted in her seat, knowing if even said no, the miko would not believe her. 'Yes.'

The other woman sighed, giving her a worried glance, "Be careful, Rin..."

-:-

_LATE NIGHT_

It had been a few days since he last saw her and it bothered him far more than it should have. The daiyoukai suspected she was staying with one of the women at the club, as she had not stopped by his place. The place he rarely stayed at but found himself in for the past 4 nights. "Uhhh, should I take this finished paperwork back to the castle, master?" Jaken quietly shuffled over to the stack of papers beside him.

"Yes."

"Urmm... Will you be staying here again, master?"

" _Leave_." He curtly replied, his patience thin. He heard the short youkai stumbled around as he hurriedly gathered the rather large stack into his small arms and run out of the room. Jankotsu's party is tomorrow night, and Sesshomaru planned to attend if only to keep an eye on Rin and, perhaps, have a short chat with Naraku. The daiyoukai downed the last of the sake in his saucer-cup, the thought of having to now negotiate and compromise with the spider was revolting, almost enough to abandon the idea and talk with his mother.

Almost.

He poured himself some more of the liquor, finding himself drinking more than usual the past couple of months. Not that regular, human alcohol impaired him much in the first place, but it was just enough to have the quiet, sleepless nights pass rapidly while minimally diminishing his judgment or senses. It was around 10PM, perhaps he should try sleeping now as he had not in a few nights... In fact, he hadn't slept since the last night Rin was in his bed...

_He heard the commotion in her home but Hiten continued getting in his way. "So, what's the almighty Sesshomaru doing around some frail human girl, huh?" An arc of lighting shot out of his trident, one he easily dodged. "We got no beef with you, we just want the girl." Two, three, four, the blinding shocks kept coming. None hit their target, but it was preventing him from getting any closer. That is when he heard the house crumbling below them and saw Rin running out the demolished building with Hiten's brother waddling behind._

_He had to finish this before the girl got seriously injured, but Hiten's attacks didn't flatter. The daiyoukai felt Manten's weak youki flare, preparing another blast that landed far too close to her and totaling his vehicle. She was on the ground, panting, frightened, trying to stand, and the smell of her blood hit his senses. It infuriated him. 'I won't allow it.' His eyes red as he darted forward to Hiten, ignoring the lightning that landed on his shoulder and slicing his whip clean across his chest and throat._

_The daiyoukai changed direction, the same whip slashing through Maten's large, ugly mouth before the energy blast had enough time to take form. When he landed in front of her, the fear in her eyes_ directed at him _nearly made him wince. But it faded quickly as she accepted his hand, and he didn't dwell on the feeling of relief that washed over him._

_When they reached his apartment, he had every intention of leaving her there. She would be safe. He told her to go shower, but she looked at him and stilled. She quickly made her way to him, the smell of salt tickled his senses as she gazed at his wound. Her glassy, worried eyes looked up at him. "It will heal." He decided to stay._

_After all was settled, Sesshomaru went into his bedroom and found himself staring at the dark-haired woman on his bed. Something about the woman wrapped in his things stirred his baser instincts, as it had the last night she stayed, but this is time it was more difficult to push those thoughts away._

A soft knock interrupted his memories. It was far too late for visitors. The daiyoukai rose and opened to door to reveal the woman that always sneaked into his thoughts. She smiled brightly up at him, as if she was genuinely happy to see to him, before stepping inside. He couldn't help his gaze run over her body, searching for any injuries and he zero-ed in on her hands. Catching her wrist, his eye narrowed at the light burns and slash marring both palms. The cuts appeared to be irritated and ripped, likely due to gripping the pole as she worked. "What is this?"

He let the smaller limb slide out of his hold as she wrote, 'Miko magic stuff for the jewel's barrier.' Without thinking, he grabbed a wrist again, bringing the wound close and dragging his tongue across a few times. He ignored the woman's bewildered expression as he repeated the same treatment on the other hand. She stared at her palms for a moment after he let them go, before looking back at him, confused.

"Mild pain relief that should start immediately. It will also temporarily give a small boost for healing." He reasoned that it was completely necessary to do, and that it had nothing to do with him wanting to care for her. Nothing at all. The girl nodded, satisfied with the explanation. "Why have you come here?"

Rin seemed to look around in thought before she wrote, 'Going to Jankotsu's?'

"I am. I believe you are as well?" She nodded and the room grew silent again.

"... Is that all?" Sesshomaru asked. He watched the human get nervous, one hand fiddling with the straps of her small backpack still on her shoulders, her gaze to the floor, and her bottom lip between her teeth. While she wrote, her cheeks quickly reddened, the reaction made him raise a brow.

'I wanted to see you.' He ignored the fluttering feeling.

"Why?" 'And why at this time?'

'You're being difficult! Just because.' She pouted, 'Is that okay?'

No, no it was not. The young woman should not _want_ to come and 'hang out' with him on a whim. Never mind that he technically opened his second home to her with his invitation, it was strictly only if she _needed_ it. And she obviously had not, being somewhere else the past 4 nights, making him stay here for nothing. 'No, that's ridiculous.' The daiyoukai thought, trying to cool his head. It was better that she was not dependent on him for every little thing, wasn't it? But he wanted her here, with him, for some unfathomable reason.

He couldn't simply let her stay now, not wanting to give her the impression that he enjoyed her company or anything equally preposterous. Giving her that impression was no longer necessary, they were now bound by duty to either seal of the dragon's jewel or kill Ryūkotsusei, perhaps both. It was pointless to be friendly now... but it didn't change he already did enjoy her presence. He hadn't realize how long he was fighting with the contradictory thoughts in his head until he felt the soft pad of her fingertips brush against the stripes on his right cheek, the gentle touch hushing his thinking.

Rin wore the same worried expression when she saw the wound Hiten had caused—was his internal conflict that obvious to her?-and he simply didn't understand why the girl busied over him. She had more than enough to trouble herself over, and he frankly did not need her concern. As he had just made up his mind to reject her, the woman's brows raised as if she realized something, and then wrote 'Also, I need to place to study. Can't at Sango's. The questions...'

… That changed things a bit. 'It is of great importance that she learns all she can so she will be prepared when the time comes to re-make the barrier.' The daiyoukai thought, and a good enough reason to smooth his pride, but he would not acknowledge that. "Then you may stay."

There was something knowing in the smile she gave him and the small giggle he heard under her breathe as she removed the bag off her back and dropped herself on the modern white sofa. She pulled out an ancient book from the bag and seemed to have no issue getting comfortable before she started reading. Or tried to from the looks of it. Her exasperated expression as she frantically flipped through the pages was enough for him to walk beside her and peak at the text. It was not translated to modern language. The book may have been as old as him if that was the case.

Rin's eyes slowly made it up to meet his and she gave him a pleading look. He simply stared back. Was she expecting him to read to her? That was entirely out of the question. She titled her head to the side and pouted, that ludicrous expression that many other women have tried on him to no effect. He convinced himself she was no different. He may have let it slip once at her home, but never again. Realizing her silent pleas were not working, her pout turned into a frown. She bit the bottom of her lip as her gaze lowered, a gloomy look darkening her features-and he damned the day she was born. "Move." She quickly perked up like a puppy being asked to play, shifting a bit to the side to give him room to sit beside her.

The daiyoukai snatched the book, obviously irritated, but the girl paid no mind to it. The book was thankfully very short, likely a scroll that was rewritten, and the first few pages had been translated. He assumed she already read those, which meant only the last 3 pages or so were lost to her. He skimmed through, gathering that the text was about the jewel, how it is contained, how it is used, and the consequences of its power. His translation would be rough, not having read or spoken the old tongue in centuries, but also because _her staring_ was as unnerving as always.

Sesshomaru willed himself to focus, beginning to slowly but surely read the worn pages. Unfortunately, it was not all that interesting. The text was too vague and cryptic, too much theory rather than hard fact, to be of much use—and his mind keep getting distracted by the way her large eyes seemed to be taking in every feature of his face and committing it to memory. He caught her gaze when it lingered on his lips, "Are you listening?"

Rin swallowed, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but nodded all the same. "Then what did I just say?" Her panicked look nearly drew a chuckle from him, her gaze then dropping to the floor. 'That won't do...' The daiyoukai reached out, bringing her chin up and watching the color on her face deepen. He heard her heart thumping rapidly in her chest when his thumb brushed past her bottom lip, his hand moving to trace the light scar left on her cheek from the angry dragon.

The reminder of it nearly drew a snarl from him. He had yet seen the dragon since then, but when he does—a hand on his stopped his murderous thoughts as she pulled it down, giving a curious look at the stripes on his wrist. She wore a small smile as her fingers traced the length of each one, and he resisted the urge to shiver underneath her appreciative touch. Either the girl had not dove into that book of inuyoukai culture yet, had no idea what she doing and what it meant, or she had and knew _exactly_ what she was doing.

Rin moved to his next arm and Sesshomaru concluded it was most certainly the former by the innocent, wondering look on her face, which meant he _should_ scowl and pull away from the oblivious human. But the more instinctual side of his male youkai mind fought against the notion, and simply wanted to throw her over his shoulder and ravish her in his bed. When she looked back into his eyes, it appeared something switched off in her mind and her entire face burned red as she covered her face and quickly put some distance between them.

The human stayed like that for a moment before clearing her throat, moving to write, 'I'm sorry. That was rude, wasn't it?' He didn't answer. Her expression afterward seemed to say 'well if you aren't going to say anything' before she reached for the behavioral book at the bottom of a small stack on the coffee table.

The daiyoukai slammed his hand on the books, making her jump. "It is late. Go to bed." He was not going to deal with her questions about _that_ now, not when he did not know why he permitted her touch in the first place. The woman hurriedly rose from the sofa with her bag and left the room. His sharp hearing soon caught the ruffling of his bed covers and he let out a sigh as he sank his back into the couch.

The ghost of her fingertips still lingered on his stripes and all he wanted was her to discovery the rest of them, to feel her soft touch worship the markings that symbolized his powerful lineage. How would her lips feel against the markings on his wrists, ankles, the moon between his bangs or his hips? His mind recalled their first meeting at Shikon, her soft moaning when he nibbled her neck, how her body trembled in his arms and instinctively rubbed against him. He enjoyed watching her expressive face as her emotions ran through, how would she look under him-

The daiyoukai shook his head as he stood and nearly flipped the table out of frustration. He was practically panting like a bitch in heat over her and it drove him mad. It was pathetic. He clutched the bottle of sake and drank a few gulps straight, concluding that he could not stay here, he simply could not be around her. 'Running away from a human, Sesshomaru?' His youkai pride mocked, 'Just fuck her and be done with it.'

He would not lower himself to do such a thing. He was not some old, perverted youkai desperate for a virgin body. Torn between doing what he wanted because he is Lord Sesshomaru and doing what was expected of him because he is Lord Sesshomaru, he fled from the apartment building to clear his thoughts, wondering what the hell was wrong with him.

-:-

_THE NEXT DAY, SHICHININTAI MANSION_

'The mansion is more a fortress really...' Rin thought as she took in the sheer size of the land and the building that stood on it. "This place is obscenely large." Yura voiced her similar thoughts, "I can seriously see someone getting lost in here or, oh, I don't know, murdered! And no one finds out."

Sango elbowed the hair youkai, "Might want to keep it down."

"Oh, come on, everyone here knows what these guys do."

"And what is that we do, Yura?" The man Rin had seen briefly a week ago appeared, the tail end of his braid flickering in the wind as he approached them at the front gate.

"They leave their favorite girl high and dry for weeks at a time. No calls or nothing. Making her worry." Yura fake-cried, earning a grin for the tan, young man.

"That sounds about right."

Yura blinked in shock, then pouted angrily, "Hey!"

The male switched subjects, "It's good to see you still around, Sango." He gave her a quick nod, which she returned. "Are you going to introduce me to your new friends, Yura?"

"Oh, just look at these beautiful girls." Yura looped one arm each around Kagome and Rin, "The sweetest things. This is Kagome!"

"Its a pleasure to meet you, Mr-"

"Just call me Bankotsu."

"And this quiet one here is Rin." She took her cue of bringing up the best smile she could muster and the man smirked back at her.

"Aren't the quiet ones the wildest?"

"Now you listen here!" Yura started, letting them go and moving to stand right in front of Bankotsu, a hand on her hip. "These girls are far too green for that kind of nonsense. Your boys try anything and they're dead. Right, Sango!?"

"Ah... right..." Sango responded, chuckling softly. Rin and Kagome, on the other hand, were very confused. 'How she is behaving like this with a client?' Rin thought, 'Aren't they mercenaries or assassins?'

"Don't get your hair in a bunch, Yura." Bankotsu seemed amused, "We would never put our hands on an unwilling lady."

"Well, then, good." Yura finished, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just wanted to make sure."

Sango cleared her throat, "Were you leading us to our rooms?"

"Yes, of course. Follow me."

-:-

"So let's review." Yura began, helping Kagome with her hair as she quizzed her. "The braid guy is Bankotsu. Guest of honor is..."

"Jankotsu, the gay one."

"Correct. Renkotsu is..."

"The smart, boring one."

"Totally. And Suikotsu is..."

"... Depends on the day?"

"Ha! Right. Ginkotsu is..."

"A cyborg...? I'm not sure if really understood your description of him earlier..."

"Basically. Kyokotsu is..."

"Freakishly huge."

"Yup, and last but not least, Mukotsu..."

"Is a dead, old pervert. Why mention him again?"

"Eh, just in case. No one stays dead around here."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Ehh, its... complicated." Yura avoided the question, now looking at Rin. "Hey! Your cuts are gone." She pointed out, holding Rin's hands with palms up.

"That was quick, weren't they torn up yesterday?" Sango asked, the slight suspicion in her voice was not lost on Rin. The younger woman couldn't stop the flush on her cheeks when she remembered the large clawed hand gently cradling her's as his tongue cared for the wound, leaving a tingling sensation that was not at all bad.

"Ooohhh boooyy." Yura mumbled, dropping her hands. "Look at that blush! You are not keeping this guy a secret anymore, you know that right? I must know!" There was no way that the girls could _ever_ know, or anyone else for that matter. She had a feeling Sesshomaru would not be all that happy with her if she just yapped around about him. Rin wondered where he had gone in the morning... Thankfully, a knock on the door and the signal to start the show saved her from further questioning.

-:-

Rin smoothed out the front of the white, mermaid-style dress she wore, the feeling of the embroidery and sequins against her skin calming her nerves. A small change of plans for her, the band had decided one of the girls should put up a burlesque-type show as Janksotsu preferred that when women were preforming as it looked more fun, according to the mercenary. She had zero problem with this, only that she wished she had more time to figure out a routine in her head.

Gods, when were the two shots of tequila they took before they started going to hit her?

"HEY!" Yura suddenly exclaimed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "None of that! You got nothing to worry about! They picked you because they heard your routine for Sesshomaru that night was great. And you're great, and you got this!" She also had a shot glass in her other hand, "But if you need another one, I totally get it. I think I had like five."

'You're a youkai.' Rin wished she could respond. Too many before a performance for her was definitely not a good idea, as it can make her sloppy.

"Oh, we found some gloves! Here you go, quick!" The human pulled on the long satin cloth until it reached mid-bicep. "She's almost done." Yura noted, hearing the music coming to a close before handing Rin a white fluffly boa, spotted with some silver feathers.

Sango soon appeared from the curtains of the portable, outdoor stage, "Knock'em dead, Rin!"

Rin took a deep breath before stepping out to the public, holding the boa high in one hand and wrapped around her other wrist. Once center-stage, the band began to play and she let her body sway to the music, making waves with the boa behind her. She brought her hands together then twirled around, letting the feathers roll down her back and stop just under her the curve of her bottom, giving two slow, deliberate rotations of her hips as she looked over her shoulder to the guests.

The whistles were encouraging and she continued on, boa now around her shoulders as she did one round around the stage, smiling at the front row guests. Jankotsu was front in center in the middle table, his feminine appearance surprised her but he seemed to be enjoying himself so far. To his right was Bankotsu, who appeared to be whispering something to Renkotsu on his other side. To Jankotsu's left was Suikotsu, his face seemed very different from the last time she saw him at the clinic, and the others. She did not recognize any of those in the left table, but could tell they were mostly youkai.

Rin threw out the boa to the side of the stage, before gracefully spinning back to center, right in front of the Shichinintai's table. She grabbed the fingertips of her right glove and slipped it off, dragging the exposed hand down her chest and over the curve of her hips. She stepped closer to the edge of the stage, dangling the shiny cloth close to the men. Suikotsu was the one who reacted out, but she tossed the glove behind her with a grin, causing the other men at the table to chuckle at their friend. She made quick work of the other glove, twirling it in the air a few times before letting it fly off the side of the stage.

Which made her glance to the right, _that_ table had pairs of red, golden, and green eyes that couldn't met just yet. Oh, and Kouga, who had made quite a bit of noise during Kagome's show. She ran her hands down her sides as she bent forward, then moving to unzip the dress. She went half-way down, snapped back up with the music, before fully unzipping the back of the dress. Her hips swayed side to side, letting the dress slip down her frame until it was just barely hanging on, revealing the dangling rhinestones on the back of her thong and the criss-cross jewel straps of her bra.

Rin stopped to look back for just a moment, making the audience hoot and holler for more. She grabbed the front of the dress to let it slip down her knees before stepping out, dragging it behind her as she moved towards the right of the stage, in front of _them_. She then posed, the dress hanging behind her from one hand held high and her other hand on her hip. She dared to make eye contact with the dog youkai, who was sitting with a leg on one knee and wine glass in one hand, resting on the arm chair. His golden eyes appeared to be on fire, and she didn't mind when his gaze traveled down her mostly exposed body, but the feeling it roused in her was unexpected and she dropped the dress prematurely.

Fortunately, the band playing was on point and followed her lead, the fun part of the show began as she smiled and swung her hips to the beat of the drums and clarinet as she made her way around all sides of the stage, making sure each guest got a ample amount of her shaking bottom and swaying hips. The cheering made her honestly grin and laugh, thinking the liquor must finally be doing its job. Once the music slowed for just a moment, she took that time to unhook the jewel-studded bra, unveiling the rhinestone nipple tassels on her breasts.

And the beat picked up quickly, and she dropped to her knees, bouncing on the floor as she made the tassels shake. Lifting one leg while keeping the other knelt, she focused on spinning the tassels perfectly, before letting the front leg slid her down into a split. The thigh-high stockings made everything a bit slippery, so she fell on her side a bit sooner than intended, but she quickly recovered, bouncing back up to her feet and making one more round around the stage.

Feeling a bit bold, Rin walked to the edge of the right stage, her hands running down the length of her torso as she looked straight into the inuyoukai's eyes. She bit the bottom of her painted lip, one hand tangled in her dark hair as the other raised up and beckoned him towards her. She smirked at the spark in his heated gaze before she spun back over to the center, just in time for the song's end. The guests cheered and applauded, and she blew a kiss to the crowd before strutting off behind the curtains, only to be grabbed by Kagome right away.

"Whoa, what was _that_?" The woman asked, her lips seemed to be fighting a smile. Rin looked at her confused before Sango joined in.

"Yeah, that surprised even Naraku, I think." 'Oh, they mean _that_.' Rin thought, now mortified by her display. She didn't know what came over her, whether it was the hype of the crowd, the tequila, or how much she enjoyed the effect she seemed to have on him—maybe a combination of it all.

"I guess Bankotsu was right. You're a little minx under all that, aren't cha?" Yura teased, making one final adjustment to her skirt. The younger woman turned red at the accusation, planting her face in her hands. "You can't hide it now!" The hair youkai exclaimed before she made her way outside. 'Ugh, that was probably a really bad idea.' She groaned internally, 'Especially after how he acted last night.'

_Rin flinched at the force of his hand coming down on the textbook, wide eyes turning to him. She saw a turmoil of emotions run through his eyes before they froze over, but his husky voice betrayed him. "It is late. Go to bed."_

She doubted Sesshomaru would ever explain the more animalistic side of his behavior, and she was going to study _every single page_ of that book later to understand him better. "Rin." She came out of her memories to Kagome waving in front of her. "We gotta change and work the floor!"

'Oh right!'

-:-

"Why do you gotta be such a pain in the ass?" Rin heard Kouga say as her with the rest of the girls came to the floor, passing by his table. She giggled at his outburst, though she didn't know to which man it was directed to. "I heard that!" She ignored the wolf youkai as they approached the band of seven, all four of them wearing halter tops and peek-a-boo boyshorts that then wrapped around their legs gartini-style.

"Ladies!" Jankotsu exclaimed, a man from Hakurei had his arm around him. "That was an excellent performance. The rest of you can pick whom you want." Bankotsu naturally took Yura, Sango was picked by Kyokotsu, Ginkotsu choose Kagome, Suikotsu already had the twins from the club and Renkotsu wasn't interested in anyone at all, which left Rin with... no one.

Bankotsu laughed, "Considering that show you put on, I'd say the rumors are true... And there isn't anyone in the right mind that's going to get between you and those dudes. Go ahead, I'm sure they miss you over there."

"Maybe you can get Sesshomaru to bring his yummy brother next time." Jankotsu added before she walked away.

Rin wasn't one to curse... 'Shit.' But the sight of the dragon's sick smirk, the spider's calculating eyes, and the dog's frosty aura was worthy of it. 'At least Kouga is with them?' She thought as she sat between him and Sesshomaru, hopeful that the wolf youkai was chill enough and be her saving grace.

"Careful, if you get too close to me, that one might rip my arm off."Or he would just throw her under the bus! The dog youkai gave the wolf a hard stare and he put his hands up, "I'm not touching her!"

He then scowled, "As if I care where your hands on a whore are." Rin visibly winced, confused by the sudden harshness coming from him.

Naraku clicked his tongue, "Now that wasn't nice. She gave us quite the show."

"I dare say that the great Lord Sesshomaru is embarrassed." Ryūkotsusei said, smirking in delight with his arms laying across the back of the padded bench. She didn't want to give the dragon credit or anything... but she hadn't considered how Sesshomaru, a private man, would react to the... very... public.. display she made.

"Don't be foolish." Was his reply, before finishing up his wine.

"Well if he insists on being so ill-mannered, perhaps Rin should sit over here with us. Surely you would not mind if she is just a 'whore'?" Ryūkotsusei asked, gesturing to a spot between Naraku and him. It was the spider who shot him a suspicious look, but the dragon lifted just hands up in defense. "Today is a celebration. I fully intend to relax and enjoy Jankotsu's lovely party. I would hate to have our girl sulking because of Sesshomaru's rudeness." ' _OUR_ girl?' She wasn't _anyone's_ girl. The hanyou exhaled loudly from his nose, before giving a subtle look to Rin for her to move.

The human glanced at Sesshomaru, but he would not look at her. Swallowing her worry, she moved to sit in-between the hanyou and the dragon instead. "Relax, Rin, as I said, let's all enjoy ourselves." The dragon cooed before moving forward and pouring a glass of wine for her and re-filling his. She accepted the glass with a careful hand, wondering what was Ryūkotsusei's game.

"You're making me sick." Kouga proclaimed, taking a swig of his whiskey. "What the hell happened to you while I was gone?"

"Whatever do you mean, Kouga?" Rin drank quietly as the two bickered back and forth.

"What do I mean? Your 'sweetness' is freaking me out, man."

The dragon shrugged, "As I said, I simply want to enjoy myself. Her sad face can be pitiful to look at all the time." A clawed finger hooked under her chin as he brought her gaze up to his face, his fangs in full view with his creepy grin. "Her smile can be much better. Reminds me so much of her mother." Furious, Rin slapped his hand away from her face without thinking, causing the hanyou to put an arm around her and pulled her away from the dragon before she did anything else.

"Easy..." Naraku whispered in her ear before addressing the dragon, "That was unnecessary. How about a change in topic, hm? Kouga, how was your trip?"

The evening carried on pretty uneventfully from there. The dragon did not say anything too out of the ordinary or disrespectful, Naraku kept her by her side but wasn't a total creep, Kouga seemed to avoid being too friendly to her which she understood but Sesshomaru... had refused to look at her the entire time. At one point, Sesshomaru discretely passed Naraku a note, she assumed it was plans to meet about the jewel. Not even a glance at her. Despite the drinks and the dancing, the laughs she shared with the other girls when they linked back together for a few moments—nothing got her mind off of him.

They were all in the mansion now, several guests spread across the vast living room and dining area. "Have you girls eaten yet?" Bankotsu asked, looking at Yura.

"No." The hair demon pouted, "You all have been holding out on us."

"Tsk, what are you doing!? Go, eat! We need to have a private chat anyway." The girls glanced at each other and nodded, all rising and making their way to the dining area. Bankotsu, Jakotsu, Renkotsu, Ryūkotsusei, Naraku, Kouga, Sesshomaru and two other youkai she did not recognize all left the main room and went to the east hall.

"Wonder what that's about." Sango mumbled.

"Who cares? I'm freaking starving!" Yura exclaimed, happily grabbing a plate. "Besides, they are probably just discussing their plans for world domination again."

"Again? You know, you seem close to Bankotsu, Yura..." Kagome asked, also nabbing some food.

"Oh, we go way back. I knew him and his friends when they used to be human." She explained nonchalantly. 'Used to be human?' "Hey, you!" Rin blinked at the outburst, "Yeah, you! Grab something." The young human shook her head, she wasn't really hungry... "Nah, nope, screw that. Grab something."

'I'm not hungry.' Rin thought, giving her a flat look.

"BS. Grab something or kami help me, I'm going to shove this delicious dango down your throat." The hair demon threatened, waving a skewer of dango in front of her menacingly.

"She'll do it." Sango warned, between bites as she searched for a place for them to sit. Rin let out a sigh, giving in to the youkai's demands. She grabbed a couple of different dangos, hoping that was enough to get Yura off her back.

Yura glanced at her plate, "That's fine... _for now_." The four of them sat in a semi-quiet, far off corner of the room, trying to not completely pig out, with the exception of Rin.

"Okay, so, what's up?" Yura asked first, looking straight at her. She really did not want to have this conversation.

"You've been acting a bit strange since we got off stage. Did anything happen with Ryūkotsusei?" Sango asked. Rin shook her head. 'Leave it alone, guys...' She wished she could say.

Kagome continued the interrogation, "...What about Sesshomaru?" Her food was mid-way to her mouth, the name causing her to drop it back on the plate as it was no longer appetizing. That was enough to give it away.

"Oh no... Oh honey..." Yura started, "No, no, that won't work." Rin looked at her friend with a questioning look, wondering just what she thought wouldn't work.

"I mean he's... Sesshomaru. Now I don't wanna give away my age or anything, but l can say with complete confidence that the dude hasn't cared for anyone but himself and his lands for centuries. He doesn't let anyone touch him unless, like, he wants to fuck. And I mean _accidentally_ touch too alright? You don't escape whole from that. The man does not like anyone in his personal space unless they are going to bang. Period. He's arrogant as hell and I imagine that gets old _fast_. His family is a dysfunctional wreck of way too powerful, stuck-up youkai and one, very reckless hanyou. I can name many who are his enemies but that friend's list is non-existent, its more of a I-tolerate-him-because-he-can- _fucking-kill-me_ list. I can't imagine having a normal conversation with the guy, _is that even possible_? And you can stop me at anytime you know..."

Rin shrugged. 'Yeah, the workholic part sounds right... and the family part... and the arrogant part... and the friends part... Okay, most of it...' She furrowed her brows, 'He lets me touch him though...'

"But if you insist, Rin, I'll help." The human mouthed the words 'What?' and Yura grinned, "I'll help!"

"I thought you were doing a pretty good job of convincing her otherwise." Sango seemed annoyed.

"Yeah, but... I mean, I don't know, maybe this is a modern fairy-tale and Rin will be the one to melt the heart of ice, you know?"

Kagome giggled, "That would be cute." Then frowned, "But... this is dangerous..."

"Agreed." Sango looked to her, "If you do have some feelings for that daiyoukai, you should drop it immediately."

"Hey now, you can't be breaking up this love story." Yura growled, throwing a balled napkin at Sango.

"What story?! Besides, it is for her own good." The woman grounded out, throwing back the napkin at the youkai.

"Well, I say that her being with him would be the greater good! And she gets to bang one of the hottest dudes here while she's at it, its a win-win!"

"Guys...?" Kagome tried to intervene but the two were deep in their arguing... over what was best for her. Usually the concern would be endearing, but the assumptions and decisions being made without so much a word from her made it aggravating instead. It reminded her far too much about how she was treated in the past soon after losing her voice. She snatched her drink off the table and walked away from the girls, ignoring their calls as she made her way to the backyard.

Her white heels clicked against the stone pathway, leading deep into the trees that surrounded the large property. She sipped a bit of wine, wondering where the path ended. She hoped it was to somewhere quiet and beautiful. Her skinny heel got caught in-between a more worn-out part of the path, causing her to nearly trip. Scowling, the girl removed her shoes, swinging them both in one hand as she continued on her way bare-foot.

Rin shivered when a cool breeze whipped around her hair and exposed skin, hugging herself as she carried on. 'This is taking awhile...' The human thought, thinking it may be time to turn back. "Now what do we have here...?" She froze at the sound of a familiar voice, one she did not want to hear now, or ever really. "What are you doing... so far from safety, my little Rin?" The dragon circled her, standing in her way, just inches away from her face.

The human glared up at him, causing him to smile. "Such a hard look doesn't suit you. Not very persuasive. Your mother was no good at it either." He was trying to piss her off. She shouldn't take the bait, she shouldn't take the bait... "No, she looked best on her knees, begging for my mercy."

'Screw it.' The woman dropped her shoes and made a move to slap the daiyoukai, but he caught her wrist before she made contact. "That's not a good idea, Rin. That's how it starts." She winced against his iron grip, trying to pull away but he just held on harder. "The helplessness... How weak you are..."

Her heart pounding in her chest, she tried to kick him away but he just pushed down her leg as if he was swatting a fly. "You could do nothing against your mortal father, what makes you think you can fight me?" The human whimpered at the increasing pressure around her wrist, almost hearing her bones creak under the daiyoukai's restrained strength. "You cannot hide _it_ forever."

"What are you doing?" Relief crashed over her at the sound of Sesshomaru's voice and the dragon finally released her, annoyed.

"I'm having a pointless discussion with a whore. What do you care?"

"You were not to damage another of Naraku's girls."

The dragon scoffed, "Are you his inventory manager now?"

"Hardly, any opportunity to banish you is worth taking."

"I'm flattered, truly." The dragon waved them off as he walked away. "I'm done with her for tonight. Have fun."

Rin waited until she could no longer hear the dragon's steps before she backed into a nearby tree and slid to the ground. What was she doing? 'I can't do this...' She absently poured out the rest of the drink and placed the glass down. 'He is just... He's just going to keep coming...' The human tried to rub where the daiyoukai grabbed her, but cringed at the pain. It would bruise. Another mark. She tried to stifle her tears but it was useless. The woman her knees up to her chest and buried her head down, trying to control her shaking.

The human heard him coming, but she didn't want to deal with him now too. 'Just go away, Sesshomaru.' She thought, 'Go away...' She froze at the feeling of cloth surrounding her and raised her head enough to look, her shoulders covered the gray blazer he was wearing. "Your friends are worried." Rin shook her head, her crossed hands grabbing the hems of the jacket and bringing it closer to her. 'Not now...'

"Do you want to leave?" The woman nodded numbly, then yelped in surprise when the daiyoukai picked up her off the floor. "Hold on." Was the final warning before they shot across the sky.

-:-

He didn't take her to his place, but instead to Sango's. Rin wasn't sure how he knew where it was, and she didn't know what to do with the feeling of disappointment when the building came into view. "You are staying here, are you not?"

'Yes, but...' She didn't want to be here. She was afraid for Sango, for Yura, for Kagome, for anyone around her that didn't stand a fighting chance against the sadistic dragon. The woman wrapped her arms around his neck, shaking her head into his shoulder. She wanted to be with _him_. He was safe, he was strong, he was gentle, he was everything that she needed right now.

"Rin." No, she wasn't going to let go. She tightened her grasp on him, ignoring the sparks of pain from her injured wrist. "Let go." 'No.' "Rin." 'No.'

They stood silently for what seemed like eternity and she sincerely hoped his resolve was breaking, because the warmth of his body and his masculine smell was cozy enough to put her to sleep. Rin blinked hard when he cursed under his breath, having never had any profane word from his mouth and realized she won this battle as he took for the sky again, now landing in front of his place. Only once were they inside, did she finally loosen her firm grip around him as he lowered her bare-feet to the floor.

Rin didn't break away. Would he stay tonight? She nuzzled his cheek, before brushing the bridge of her nose against his. He didn't protest or pull away when her hands came up from behind his neck and cupped his face instead, her thumbs brushing past the top stripe of each cheek. 'He acted strange last time... should I stop?' But his eyes fluttered close and his arms wrapped themselves around her bare waist. He rested his forehead against her's, and the woman felt her cheeks burn from the closeness.

Yura had to be wrong about him. Was this not considered affection in youkai terms? If he was willing to accept it from a broken, human girl like her then surely he had from various other demonesses. His hands came up, brushing past her every curve on the way, and grabbed her wrists with a loose, gentle grip. "You are exhausted." His voice was nearly a whisper, not harsh nor cold. She shortly wondered how terrible she must have looked. "Get to bed." She let him push her away a bit, and she made her way to hall, stopped short just before the corner, looking back at him.

He stared at her for a moment before he said, "I'm not leaving." Rin smiled softly at him before she made her way to the bedroom, removing his blazer and the tight, constricting stripper outfit. She sighed in relief when her chest was free before slipping into one of Sesshomaru's white tees. She stole a silk boxer to replace the criss-cross boyshorts. She dove into the bed, curling up under the familiar comforter.

That's when he came in. Her gaze followed his hands as he undid his belt buckle, pulled the ends of his dress shirt from his pants-She should look away. She really should-before unbuttoning the shirt and discarding it carelessly in the same pile as her outfit. The small amount of moonlight slipping into the room seemed to perfectly accent his strong pecs and defined abs, and she was surprised to see the powerful quads his suits hid.

Then the woman looked back up to find gold staring directly at her and she knew she was _busted_. She squeaked as she threw the cover over her face, hoping they could just pretend she was not being a pervert just now. 'Now, wait a second, how many times has he seen _you_ strip?' Her mind rationalized, and she accepted that as a reasonable argument, it was only fair she got to watch this once! She 'meeped' again when a strong arm around her midsection pulled her close against a very bare chest. Another arm slipped underneath her pillow and curled over the front of her body, his face buried in the crook of her neck.

Rin felt him take a deep breath through his nose and exhale as if he taking in her scent. He did that a few times before he settled his cheek against her shoulder. 'We... We're staying like this?' She wasn't sure if her heart could take it! But it seemed the daiyoukai had zero intention of moving. 'Well then...' The woman shifted just a bit closer to him and he responded with a quick squeeze. She had no complaints.

**End of Chapter 9**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg another chapter, yayyy! This was a bit of a filler that got a tiny bit too long (I like writing when everyone is chatting a bit too much if ya'll haven't noticed ^^;). It was also re-written, like, twice, and I kept tweaking things and I was like NO THATS ENOUGH. So yeah. Rin's routine is based on Missy Lisa's competition-winning performance.
> 
> BTW, the next chapter is super, super important. Super. Important. Stay tuned! :D


	10. My Remedy

 'Thoughts/Rin's writing'

_Flashbacks_

Original Publish Date: 3/10/2017

Rin had long since accepted Sesshomaru had strange eating habits for a youkai, but something seemed particularly weird to find one lone banana in a fruit bowl with the entire kitchen 100% empty of other edibles. She shrugged, 'Its mine now!' Making sure to be silent to not wake the daiyoukai she had successfully untangled herself from, she then made her self comfortable on the sofa, legs crossed with a book on her lap. Armed with the sweet fruit and a cold glass of water, Rin began to flip through the pages on inuyoukai culture. She stopped at pack behavior, curious. Sesshomaru had no 'pack' that she knew of...

The text mentioned pack usually consisted of direct family members, mates, and close friends of the alpha male and female. In hierarchy, next came beta, then the lowest of the pack was an omega. The alpha decided where and when the pack ate, slept, and was the only one allowed to mate with the alpha female. When it came to hunting, the alpha always eat first, and when it was time to sleep, they were usually last, keeping a watchful eye on the pack. They generally slept within very close vicinity of each other... Knowing how he felt about his family, she couldn't imagine them being cuddled in a huge ball of youkai fluff.

The book went on about scent and youki marking, latter reserved only for the alpha female and any children from the alpha. Scent-marking was pretty straight forward as it just involved prolonged periods of physical contact, the alpha did this to alert others that this person was pack and under their protection. Youki-marking seemed much more complicated, and she couldn't completely wrap her head around it as her knowledge of youki was weak.

There was a whole section on licking, nipping and growling that she quickly skimmed through. She made a note to nip Sesshomaru next time he did or said something annoying. She giggled thinking about how the daiyoukai would react to that. Licking was used for healing and to show affection. Growling had various different meanings depending on the type of growl and the situation.

Rin kept on; glad when she found a more elaborate section on markings, then mortified when she saw it was under 'Mating Traditions'. 'Oh gods, Rin, _what have you done_?!' She mentally groaned, then willed herself to keep reading as the book described just how much she screwed up. The text reiterated that markings, which took forms of stripes, spots, swirls, shapes in nature, etc., signified the youkai's lineage and how powerful they were.

The text went on to say each inuyoukai clan had different rules, but generally speaking as with the majority of the youkai species, markings were personal and deeply rooted into a what a youkai was worth to their personal pack and their clan as a whole. So it was only natural that a female searches for a mate with crisp, vibrant, uniform markings coupled with strong youki. The book continued that, in terms of mating, the female would show her admiration, and more importantly her understanding, of the youkai's worth by caressing, kissing, or licking their markings.

It explained that not all was depend on the female's choice. If the male was a high-ranking, powerful daiyoukai, he had the right to kill—Rin paled-any female that he deemed unworthy that dared to initiate the intimate act. She was pretty sure that mute, human female belonged in the unworthy category in this case... 'As stated previously, rules of mating can vary wildly between inuyoukai clans, for some this is the first step towards mating and for others this is near the end right before the mating mark is in imprinted...' She decided to stop reading there, she didn't need full details on inuyoukai mating, before softly shutting the book before putting it back on the table.

'So I can't just apologize...' Rin thought, racking her brain on how to just continue on her day with this knowledge. 'Because that comes across like "I'm so sorry for thinking you were important." That's... terrible.' She sighed and leaned back, letting her neck curl as she looked up at the blank ceiling. 'Would saying nothing though leave the wrong impression? I'm still alive... Maybe he understands that I didn't mean it like that, I don't think that stuff is common knowledge among humans.' Acting as if nothing happened seemed like a better option.

Rin blinked, realizing, 'Did he mark me with his scent overnight?' She sniffed her arms, but that was pointless. She didn't have a youkai nose. It would explain his... cuddling, but _why_ in the world would he do that? She wasn't pack. Did he want her to be? She shook that thought away, 'That's crazy. There's no way.'

Deep in her thoughts, she jumped when a little bottle fell on her lap. She grabbed it, confused, before looking up at the daiyoukai, still wearing the lounge pants he slept with but not topless. She wasn't sure if she was disappointed or relieved. "Bathe with that." He didn't offer any more words than that. She opened it and gave if a whiff, it didn't smell like much, maybe a bit powdery...

The woman shrugged and did as she was told, taking her time in the shower. She nearly knocked into the short man waiting outside the bathroom door with a bag, "Hurry up and change! You've keep Lord Sesshomaru waiting long enough!" Rin grabbed the bag, ignoring whatever the little youkai said and peeked inside as she crossed into the bedroom. She switched the towel for the yellow sundress and slipped on the white wedges, she quickly shuffled back into the bathroom to dry her hair.

The little youkai didn't like that, "Hurry up, woman! Can't you see Lord Sesshomaru is waiting!?" It didn't take long for her finish with the high-speed, disturbingly quiet hair dryer. When she made her way back to the living room, she couldn't help but let her gaze linger the man who wasn't facing her. The white dress shirt he wore was a bit tighter than the last one, accenting the lines of the his strong arms and the ripples of his wide back as he moved to slip on his jacket. She caught a glimpse of his toned glutes, hugged by his black trousers before the jacket settled against him.

"Stop _ogling_ Lord Sesshomaru this instant, human! He is not some piece-" Rin quickly bent down and covered the man's mouth, the rest of his words lost in excited mumbling, her face red at being caught staring. The daiyoukai merely turned and raised a perfect brow at them both.

"Jaken, ready my car." The woman let go of him.

"Yes, my lord!" And the stout man scampered off, leaving them alone. Unlike her, the daiyoukai had zero problem checking her out while she watched him; a tingling sensation shot down her body as his eyes took her in but her stare dropped to the floor when his golden eyes met her's, their intensity too much for her to bare. He simply turned back around as if nothing happened, putting on small, hexagon-shaped cuff links decorated with a white flower against a red background.

"We are meeting with Naraku." Sesshomaru explained before she asked, "Kouga will be joining us if his schedule permits." Naraku wasn't how she wanted to start her day, but it would be best to get it out of the way. "Come." As she followed Sesshomaru to the back-end of leaving the building, she realized she didn't have her tablet, her phone, nothing. She left the party so abruptly last night with the daiyoukai... 'Oh, the girls might be worried...'

Rin slipped inside the modern silver Porsche, once more feeling out of place in the expensive car with a daiyoukai driver. The ride was pleasantly silent for the most part until the daiyoukai spoke, "It would be unwise to continue staying with your friend. Ryūkotsusei will have no issue tracking you there." His words didn't surprise her, she was considering the same thing but wasn't sure where-"You will stay with me until this is over."

That sounded like a demand... he certainly wasn't asking. "Do you work today?" She nodded. "I will leave you at your friend's after the meeting. Jaken will pick you up after work." She nodded again, before staring out the passenger window. She vaguely remembered these streets, seems they were heading towards the PALE DRAGON restaurant.

-:-

"Sesshomaru—Oh, Rin. I was not expecting to see you..." Naraku walked in the private room in the back of the restaurant, taking a seat across them. "What could you possibly wish to discuss with me...?" The spider continued to glance back at her, suspicious.

The daiyoukai wasted no time, "The dākusutā's bonds are breaking."

The spider gave the dog a _looonng_ look, "I've only heard of the dark star in myths and fairy tales, Sesshomaru. Are you telling me such a thing is real?" Rin wasn't sure how old Naraku was, but his questioning made her think he must be one of the youngest out of all those non-humans she met so far. Kind of made her look at him a bit differently.

"Yes. Your assistance is needed to seal it once more, out of Ryūkotsusei's grasp."

Naraku raised both brows, "Did you just ask for my help?"

She noticed Sesshomaru's jaw tightened, exhaling from his nose before a grounded out a "Yes."

The hanyou leaned back into his chair, chuckling. "I'm going to need a drink." The daiyoukai snapped his fingers and a waiter came in and out taking the spider's order. Kouga then walked in, hands in the air,

"I know, I know, I'm late. Whatever." He took a seat next to Naraku, "What did I miss?"

"A blow to Sesshomaru's pride." Naraku replied, a proud smirk on his lips.

"Damn it." Kouga swore, disappointed. Rin was able to keep her giggle in, but wasn't able to her hide her smile as Sesshomaru glared at both guests with clear annoyance. The waiter knocked before re-entering, with Tennessee whiskey for Kouga and scotch for Naraku.

"What does Rin have anything to do with this?" The hanyou asked, red eyes watching her.

"She is the last guardian."

Naraku sipped his drink, "My mythology is a bit rusty, mind elaborating?"

Kouga stepped in, "She's the only one, aside from Ryūkotsusei, that can touch the damn thing without losing her mind. Supposedly, she and Ryūkotsusei's family, can be traced back to the beginnings of the dragon clan, all the way to the sky and sea gods, who created the jewel or something. Now, I don't know the validity of all that..." Kouga trailed off and the spider asked her,

"You have seen it?" She nodded. "And you touched it?" She nodded again. "This why Ryūkotsusei's has gone mad for you?" And one more nod. "He has been quite unstable lately... I would need to see the jewel and what it is being held in to clearly understand the type of seal it needs..." The spider paused for a drink, "Though... permanently dealing with Ryūkotsusei sounds far more beneficial to all of us. He will catch on with what we are doing, and he will not take it lightly."

"Ryūkotsusei will be killed, regardless." Rin frowned as Sesshomaru spoke, "His anti-human propaganda is captivating too many gullible, short-sighted youkai."

"Yeah, they're fucking shit up." Kouga agreed, "I've had to clear up 2 skirmishes in the past week with forest rangers that the idiots decided to pick a fight with, blabbing shit about new world order. Nearly killed them."

"The incident at Rin's home has severely heightened unrest with humans within my districts, unsurprisingly. First time a miko unit has been deployed in the last 3 years." The spider added.

"Well, we make sure he doesn't get hold of that jewel and it would be a lot easier to get rid of him. Its already going to be a total pain in the ass."

"We can discuss _that_ later, I'm sure little Rin here doesn't want to hear the details..." Naraku remarked, finishing his glass. "I assume such an ancient relic, hidden from prying youkai eyes, _must_ be in a miko shrine."

Rin lifted a card that she rewritten earlier with the words, 'Sunday Morning'. The spider smirked, "So confident that I would agree to this?" She lightly shook her head and flipped the card, where it read 'You're a coward.', making Kouga choke on his drink. She had written that being reminded of her father and her experience last night, now feeling a bit silly for it. The hanyou seemed amused, chuckling darkly, "Such an interesting girl." He made a move to stand, "Is that all then?" Sesshomaru nodded. "Then we still see each other again tomorrow morning."

-:-

Sesshomaru pulled into the open parking lot of Sango's apartment building. Rin hoped she wasn't going to be too mad at her for essentially disappearing. She was surprised to see her, Yura and Kagome outside the door, leaning against the metal frame as the hair youkai smoked... which meant they could clearly see the car, her and who was driving. The human's face already began burning, sinking into the plush leather seat as she could just _hear_ Yura now...

"OH MY GOD, RINNNYY!" … Literally. She peeked up, seeing Yura wave excitedly at her.

The woman didn't have time to react to the hand that sneaked into her hair, grabbing just one lock in-between his claws to bring towards him, giving it a soft peck. Her eyes were wide as she watched the daiyoukai, wondering just what he was up to. The same hand let go, before moving back up to cup the side of her face, and she leaned into his warm touch instinctively.

She could no longer hear her friends outside over the thundering of her heart, and the way his golden eyes looked at her kept her completely entranced. She hadn't realized how close he had gotten until he was just an inch away. His kiss was soft and teasing, making her heart flutter before Sesshomaru pulled back just a bit, observing her face. The woman swallowed hard, trying to calm her nerves, but then the daiyoukai smirked, the end of a pointy white fang resting on his bottom lip. He purred into her ear, "I'll see you tonight..."

Rin nodded numbly, and the daiyoukai completely pulled back to his side of the car, expression smooth as if nothing just happened. Broken from the trance, she could now hear a lot of excited, hushed whispering coming from the girls above. 'Oh god... They saw.' When he glanced her, she noticed the amusement starting to brighten his eyes... and that's when she realized, that the kiss tasted a little bit like revenge for her display last night.

'Oh, that changes _everything_.' The woman thought, determined to up the ante. After all, she was an exotic dancer, teasing was her art. She gave him a big smile, exiting the vehicle as she plotted ways to get back at the youkai. Though, she would first need to figure out how to not make her brain completely turn to mush when he looked at her with hooded eyes, or when his voice dropped to a husky tone or when he smirked or – Okay, she had to work on _a lot_ of defenses against him. She placed her hands on her hot cheeks, not willing to admit to herself how much she wanted to see that smirk again.

Once at the top of the stairs and in front of the girls, she noticed Yura's impossibly wide grin, Kagome's soft giggling and Sango seemed trying hard to hold back a smile despite her slightly disapproving eyes.

"We should head inside, I want to hear all about Rin's night..." Yura spoke first, before they all gathered inside Sango's living room.

"You so owe me."

Rin gave the youkai a questioning look, and Kagome explained, "A few minutes after you left some of the guys in that private meeting started leaving. Ryūkotsusei was one of the first ones, he didn't look happy, and we saw him leaving in the same direction as you did."

"Sango wanted to get Naraku but I said we should get Sesshomaru instead."

"She then tangled me in hair for disagreeing." Sango grumbled, giving Yura an annoyed look.

"Because you were going to tell the _wrong_ man! So I go find Sesshomaru real quick, and I start bawling, saying how worried we are because Ryūkotsusei's hunting you down—WHICH WE WERE!-and he, uh, he got pissed. It was kind of scary. He left like a bat out of hell. So in conclusion, I sent you your savior and all I want in return is to know how was your night, all the sexy details." That earned the hair youkai an exasperated look from Kagome and a decorative pillow thrown from Sango.

Rin found her tablet in a small pile of her things on the coffee table, and typed, "Nothing really happened."

"Your face looks like its going to combust, I really doubt that." Surprisingly the comment was from Sango.

Kagome, with a girl-ish giggle, shifted closer to Rin, "Oh come on... We all saw the kiss in the car..."

"Would it be right to assume you aren't staying here tonight?" Sango teased.

"Oh no, she's not. You know I could read lips, Rin? And after that kiss, I saw..." Yura cuddled close to Sango beside her, trying not to laugh as she deepened her voice, "'I'll see you tonight.'"

Sango's eyebrows rose as Kagome fell into a giggle-fit, "Well, that's a promise if I've ever heard one."

Rin could have died right there in embarrassment. "No, but seriously, tell uusss!" Yura whined, "You don't have to go into super detail, alright? I get it. Just give us sometthiinngggg!"

The young girl sighed, giving in. "Ryūkotsusei was threatening me when Sesshomaru showed up-"

"Did he hurt you?" Sango hissed.

"We'll kick his ass, I swear!" Yura exclaimed.

"Not too bad. I'm fine." Rin answered, then continued typing, "Then, I didn't really feel well and he brought me here... But I was afraid of him coming to hurt Sango or anyone else..." She blinked back the water building in her eyes and ignored their frowns, "Then he took me to his place. Nothing happened! I swear!"

"Well, that's kind of funny because... You don't really smell like him. I mean, I don't have a dog nose or anything but... spending the whole night at his place would have left _something_ on you, even after a shower." Yura remarked, chin on her hand as she stared funny at her.

Kagome snapped her fingers, "Did you bathe with some powdery-smelling liquid? You kind of smell like it." Rin nodded.

Yura gave them both a confused look, "I don't smell anything like that on her."

"That's because its only detectable by humans. Its meant to conceal scents to youkai and certain hanyous." Sango explained, ".. Which really begs the question, what he was trying to hide...?"

Rin blushed at Sango's implication, typing quickly. "Nothing! We didn't have sex or anything!"

"Then... why go through the trouble?" Yura asked, rubbing her chin. Rin caught Kagome's understanding glance. She didn't know the liquid served a specific purpose, but considering the meeting with Naraku, she could see why he did it. It would also be terrible if his scent was all over her and she bumped into Ryūkotsusei or one of his lackeys. The dragon already has his suspicions they were working together in some way, no need to confirm them.

"And besides, you totally just confirmed that you were, at least, very close to him for most of the night if you _absolutely_ needed something to cover his scent the next morning." The hair youkai reasoned.

"We were in bed together..." Rin regretted typing as soon as she heard the gasps all around, " _No sex_!"

"Aww, does that mean cuddling?! I've never been with an inuyoukai before, there's not the many around anymore, but I heard they _love_ to snuggle." Yura then scrunched up her face, "I can't see frosty doing that at all though."

Rin wouldn't comment on that, feeling that would be too much. Her eyes traveled to the time shown in the corner of her tablet, showing it was the afternoon already. 'Don't we have work?' Rin thought before she typed out her question.

"No, Kuromaru is giving us the night off for doing so well last night." Kagome answered, "Oh! And your pay is in an envelope in your bag."

"So, we were thinking, we still haven't had our girl's night out.. and we are all free right now..." Sango started.

Yura continued, "And, since _Lord Sesshomaru_ isn't expecting his meal until muchlater tonight-" Rin face-palmed at Yura's choice of words, "-you can come too!"

Rin was a bit apprehensive of wandering around... but the idea of having a fun night out with her friends, and the fact that hadn't yet since they met, was more than enough for her to smile and accept the invitation.

-:-

"Ladies!" They had just left a club and decided to hit a bar for a bit of a quieter atmosphere and decent food. Unknown to them, Miroku seemed to be the bartender working at KaZaana tonight.

"We're leaving." Sango grumbled, trying to escape but Yura grabbed her arm.

"Awe, come on, he's nice. Let's sit!" They sat at the corner of the bar, ordering a plate of loaded fries to share among each other and a round of drinks.

"I'm surprised you didn't leave us for Muso back there." Kagome said toward Yura, who made a strange face,

"He's pretty and all. His hair is pretty nice too for a human, but there is just something about him that feels... wrong." Yura shrugged, "I don't want to bother figuring out, rather not waste my time."

Miroku came around, putting down their drinks with this charming smile, "I'm surprised to see the four of you out on a weekend night. It's been awhile since we have last spoke, how is everything?"

"Oh, same old." Yura vaguely replied.

"You didn't say you worked here, Miroku. A friend of mine used to come here pretty often..." Kagome said, catching the young man's attention.

"Oh? May I ask who?"

"Her name was Kikyo." Rin noticed how Sango and Yura froze momentarily as Miroku sighed sadly,

"Ah, yes, you look quite similar to her, you know. What a beautiful woman. I have not seen her in months. Has something happened to her?"

Kagome frowned, absently swirling the straw in her drink. "I was hoping you'd tell me. No one has seen her.."

"Ah, I'm sorry, Kagome." Miroku said, before excusing himself to serve other customers.

"Kikyo used to work at Shikon... did you know that?" Sango asked. Kagome nodded.

Yura fidgeted, "You've never asked about her before..."

"I guess I didn't want to find out."

"Unfortunately, we know as much as you." Sango sighed, resting her face on her hand.

"Yeah, she just vanished... Then Kagura spent a couple of weeks scouting a replacement, which was Rin. Then... She disappeared too. You replaced Kagura." Yura explained.

Rin noticed two youkai in a booth not far from them that continuing giving them glances. Something about them seemed familiar, 'Did we see them at the club...?' She thought, noting they quickly looked away when she caught them staring.

"How did you know her?" Sango asked.

"Ah..." Kagome started, "We went to the same school together." Miroku came and placed down a large plate of brisket loaded fries and they began eating.

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Yura said, "I was suppose to be mad at you for not mentioning your house was _completely demolished_ and that's why you are at Sango's. You can depend on all of us for anything, k?" Rin nodded, not wanting to argue. She didn't want to tell them anything out of regards to their safety, Sango just happened to figure it out way too quickly.

The women continued bar-hopping from there until they got back to Sango's place at around 12AM, giving Rin an hour or so to sober up and get ready. "My feet." Kagome cried, after removing her high heels.

"Ah, my boobs!" Yura exclaimed, freeing herself from her tight dress. They all changed into soft, comfy clothing before making their way to bed. Sango and Yura crashed in the bedroom with Kagome taking up the pull-out sofa bed and Rin sitting on the other edge.

"Tonight was fun." Kagome whispered. "We should do it again, soon!" Rin nodded. It was nice to just hang out with friends, not worry about a blood-thirsty dragon, ancient relics, and the intentions of a sexy daiyoukai. Speaking of which, she had no idea what to expect, if anything. 'He did that to mess with me and didn't mean anything by it.. right?'

The other woman suddenly began giggling, "Oh, I'm so excited for you." That didn't help Rin's nerves. "I wish I had some silver haired youkai come to my rescue. Do you think..."

Rin stopped listening to Kagome as a hushed voice started in the back of her mind. She quickly looked around, but saw nothing. It was just them in the room. "Something wrong, Rin?" Kagome asked. She ignored her and tried focusing on the whispers, then paled when she realized the last time she had heard something similar was after the jewel quaked at the shrine. "Rin?-WHOA." Kagome hissed, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms. "That..."

Rin pulled Kagome out of bed, pointing to the door. 'We have to leave!'

"Its the jewel." She nodded. "Okay, okay, let's go."

-:-

Rin gave a worried glance to Kagome who was clutching her head, sweat beading down her temple. The closer they got to the shrine, the worse the miko looked. "Kaede..." She groaned, "If I'm like this..." She was already seriously speeding down the highway in Kagome's little car, and she noticed police lights coming up. 'Road block..' She took a deep breath, and rammed right though the tight opening left. 'There were mikos on the floor...' It seemed even the highly trained were having issues.

The young woman glanced at her friend, who seemed to be sinking into the car seat. She shook her shoulder but Kagome didn't respond. 'Oh no... Oh no...' She stopped once in front of the shrine, then roughly shook both miko's shoulders. 'Kagome!'

"I'm okay... just... get it..."The miko groaned, her head dropping like a stone. Rin hurriedly exited the vehicle and sprinted up the high stairs. 'Please be alright, Kaede.' It didn't take her long to sense exactly where the jewel was, its box sitting upstairs in Kaede's bedroom. She didn't expect what she found there.

All the small, loose objects in the bedroom were floating in the air and once she stepped in, she had difficulty keeping her feet to the floor, making her way closer by pushing herself through with the furniture. Finally reaching the decorated box, she opened it and quickly snatched the marble, ignoring how unusually hot it was. Everything abruptly fell to the floor and her feet were firmly planted as they should be. 'What was that...?'

Rin opened her palm and gasped at the new look of the jewel. Still a black abyss, but now the center held an eye-shaped cluster of red-orange stars, the shape outlined with blue and purple sparkles. The marble was no longer hot, in fact, it was now quite cold. 'I'm pretty sure that wasn't in the book...' She thought, looking around at the mess left behind. 'Kaede!' She quickly left the room and began searching every room in the house, but found nothing.

"Rin!" Kagome exclaimed as she walked outside. The woman looked like she had just ran a marathon. "Did you find Kaede?" Rin shook her head. "Do you have it?" She nodded, tightening her grip around the jewel. "We gotta think of something fast." The miko pointed upward, and for the first time, Rin noticed the light-purplish hue that always surrounded the shrine was missing. "The barriers are down. There were Slayers and mikos on the highway, right? They are probably coming soon." The miko rubbed her temples, "Okay. We can't let them know about you and the jewel. I'll explain why later, just-"

A load roar pierced the night sky, black clouds began to roll in, covering the moonlight. The sounds of the forest stilled and the only thing they could hear was the sound of their breathing. "We need to go..." Kagome whispered, "Come with me." They made their way to a small shed not far from them, the miko grabbing a bow and arrow. "There is a cave nearby... Midoriko's cave. Youkai can't enter. The Slayers won't find it. Let's go."

It was dark. Rin could barely see 2 feet in front of her. Had it not been for Kagome, she would have lost herself in the woods immediately. They were careful to make minimally sound, not daring to speak as they heard the soft whooshing of something _massive_ flying above them. Suddenly, the sky above them hummed, a glow lighting up the area around them. The women peered above and saw the face of an angry dragon, his mouth wide open as an ball of energy formed. "Run!"

The women took off, just barely dodging the horde of energy bullets that rained down upon them. One of blasts was too close, throwing them both in opposite directions. 'Kagome!' But Rin couldn't see anything through the smoke of the scorched earth.

"Keeping running straight ahead!" She heard Kagome yell. The woman watched a purple light streak the sky and hit the dragon, but his hide reflected the arrow, leaving only a small singe where the holy power hit.

" _Foolish miko_." The mask above the red dragon's eyes spoke, before the being descended to the ground. Rin sprinted away, towards the direction the miko ordered, trying to keep her tears in check. 'Please be okay, Kagome.' She briefly looked down on the black marble, watching the stars in it swirl with high velocity. 'There has to be a way I can use this against him.' The jewel seemed to respond to her, but she couldn't understand any of the words. There was a cave entrance, sparkling blue and lavender, within her eyesight. She smiled in relief and willed her tired legs to keep on.

Rin inhaled sharply as something pierced her back and through her chest. Her eyes dropped to see a clawed hand pull out of her body. She still moved forward, only able to take two steps before collapsing under the pain, the jewel rolling out of her limp hand. She was so close. Only a few yards...

"What a pity. It didn't have to be like this."

Ryūkotsusei looked wild, his gray hair long enough to trial his steps, bright red eyes, flat horns jutting from the sides of his face and various purple vertical stripes across his eyes and cheeks. His skin was scaly and a purple-gray hue, as if he was caught between his youkai and humanoid form. He picked up the jewel, observing it with a triumphant smirk before he knelt beside her body. "Now that you stand at death's door, was it worth it, Rin, to challenge me?"

Each breath made a loud, rasping sound and gave her little to no air. The hand covering her wound wasn't enough to slow the bleeding. She was going to die here. Did he kill Kagome too? "Shh, now don't cry." The dragon cooed, wiping away her tears with the same, bloodied claw that took her life. "Its over now. You can see your mother again." She swore she heard a vein of melancholy in the dragon's parting words.

It was silent again. Rin could only hear the sound of her painful breathing and pitiful slowing of her heart. And she cried, its burned her weak lungs, but she cried. She failed to do the most important thing in her life, what her mother suffered for. She failed. Perhaps her father knew just how useless she was... and that's why... he treated her that way... Her body shook violently before she took her final breath, laying in a pool of her own blood.

-:-

Everything was white. It was unbelievable bright. The human rubbed her irritated eyes and looked again, now... she was in a house... that looked a lot like hers.

"Rin?" The woman turned around at the sound of her name, gasping at who she saw. 'That's impossible.' "What are you doing here?" Her mother approached her, casually, as if they had seen each just the day before.

"I... I don't know." She could speak here. 'How?'

"Hmm... It too early for you to be here, you know. I need to see some grandchildren first. At least one. " Emiko joked, she reached out and brushed lock behind her ear, smiling warmly. Rin didn't have the slightest idea what she was talking about but rushed to wrap her arms around her mother who embraced her in return, her hand brushing her hair as it always did.

"I miss you." The woman was able to say in-between biting back sobs and keeping her tears behind clenched eyelids. She didn't want to cry in front of her.

"I miss you too..." Her mother pulled away enough to raise her chin to meet her encouraging gaze, "But... you have someone waiting for you. And my, my, isn't he handsome?" She laughed and Rin burned it into her memory, "You have to wake up now, its for the best."

"No, I don't-"

" _Goodbye, Rin."_

'Where...?' Rin groaned as she tried to sit up, her mid-section sore but whole. 'What?' She patted her chest, and looked down her tank top. 'Nothing.' No scars, no evidence. There was a fluffy boa-like thing wrapped around her legs and back that smelled familiar. She looked around the room she was in, not recognizing a single element of it. It didn't help how simple it was, two large windows, white walls, hardwood furniture—nothing stood out. Not wanting to leave the warmth the boa provided, she slipped out of the bed and adjusted the fluff around her upper shoulders, warped it once around each arm to keep it stable.

The woman peeked out the window, before pulling on the curtains entirely, gasping at the sight. She was on high ground, overlooking a river with a red bridge, cherry blossoms and various other greens colored the view. 'Where am I? Is this the afterlife?' Rin didn't find natural beauties even by the miko shrine. She looked up to the sky and noticed a faint, flowing blue tinge. 'A barrier?' Turning around, she noticed her bag was on the dresser.

She peeked inside and saw her tablet and phone missing, but her books and the envelope with her cash for Friday were in place, along with some make-up and her wallet. 'But my books were at Sesshomaru's...' She decided to leave the room, and was met with a long, empty hallway. She heard noise on the right and decided to head that way, the hall breaking into a large room that appeared to be the entrance, with servants walking back and forth with clothing, flowers, food, etc.

Rin made her way down the grand stairs, noticing how they all looked at her with shocked or curious expressions but no one approached her. She frowned, wondering how can she ask for help as she let her nose lead her to the kitchens, stopping to watch the cooks laugh as they prepared something that smelled _amazing_. But they stopped the moment they noticed her, giving her a quick nod of acknowledgment before they continued their work, this time quietly.

She furrowed her brows and kept walking, 'Why are these people acting so strange?' There was a hall with two armored men standing in front of it, appearing to be guarding it. The human walked over to them, 'Hopefully they can help...' But they didn't say a word, in fact, they moved to the side to let her pass. 'Okayyy...' She decided to move forward, glancing back when they returned to their original positions. 'What is going on?'

The hall had a couple of doors to the side, but the big double doors at the end caught her eye. 'What's in here?' Rin pushed the doors open, revealing the only familiar face since she woke.

-:-

_It had been nearly less than 24 hours that Sesshomaru thought that keeping Rin seemed almost pleasant... and she was already dead. He had been too slow. It took him too long to find out where the two women had gone, too long to get pass the mikos who tried to stop him... Tenseiga shook in his grasp as he cut the underworld beings away from her body. He moved to pick up her up from the ground, the heavy smell of her blood made him sick and beyond furious. He will kill Ryūkotsusei. He will shred his body to pieces and scatter his carcass across the country side to remind others what their fate will be if they hurt her._

" _Hold it right there!" A Slayer appeared, pointing a rifle at him. No one was going to stand in his way. "Let go of the woman, youkai." **Like hell** he would._

" _Wait! Please!" He recognized that voice. One of Rin's friends. She was hurt, her side covered in dark blood as she used a long bow to limp towards them. Other Slayers began to surround him, a couple of mikos joined with their weapons at the ready. A thundering growl resonated from his chest, his claws elongated in defense as he clutched Rin closer to him._

" _Stay back, ma'am! This youkai is dangerous!" He saw red._

" _Just leave him alone already! That's his mate!" The woman yelled angrily. It was a lie, one he would normally find insulting... but it was enough to get the others to lower their weapons, even they were not so idiotic to harass a youkai with an injured mate._

The sound of the double-doors to his study opening disturbed his thoughts, the smell of spicy vanilla tickling his senses. She took nearly all day to wake, which was strange and not the usual when it came to resurrecting with his blade. They all returned immediately. "Sess...aru?" The daiyoukai looked up from the papers on his desk to see the human with wide eyes, covering her throat with one hand. Had she spoken or was his mind playing tricks?

"Se...o-maru?" Rin tried again. He rose from his seat and approached the woman, wrapped in his furs, calling to him. He stopped in front of her as she was taking a deep breath, before looking up to him with a large smile, "Sesshomaru!" Her voice was soft even with her enthusiasm, her brown eyes sparkling with delight. He couldn't recall a time someone had said his name with such unbridled joy. "Sesshomaru!" She repeated with a giggle, almost bouncing in place. Some baser part of him was very pleased that the first word she had spoken was _his_ name.

The woman suddenly gasped, before a pink blush spread across her cheeks and her smile returned. "I like your smile." 'My what?' He was smiling? "Did I just say that aloud?" The young woman buried her face into her hands, mumbling. "This going to take awhile to get used to..." She shook her head, before looking back at him again, "How...? What h-happened?"

The question was a welcomed distraction. "What do you last remember?"

"Pain..." Rin absently rubbed the fur draped over her arms, making him regret leaving it with her. "Lots of pain... Ryūkotsusei... He took it. He... I died... didn't I?" Sesshomaru nodded. "But... I'm here, with you..." Her eyes turned panicked, her body began to shake as the scent of tears cut through the room. "And K-Kagome? Is she okay? Kaede? Has he done anything since? How long have I been gone?"

The daiyoukai gripped her shoulders to halt her trembling, "I resurrected you with Tenseiga." She looked surprised, naturally. "Your friend was injured, but will be fine. The shrine keeper is in the ICU. Ryūkotsusei has gone quiet... And its been roughly a day." He explained, letting her go as she digested all the information.

There was a moment of silence before the human asked, "I can speak... because of you?"

"Tenseiga heals." He replied, that strange feeling taking hold whenever he used the sword causing him to distance himself from the blade's actions. He was not a savior by any means, and this situation was caused by his carelessness.

Rin smiled, a hand then covered her mouth as she let out a sob, a tear escaping her brown eyes. The daiyoukai frowned, he never liked seeing the woman crying but she did not appear sad? "Thank you." She giggled, a few more tears released and she hurriedly wiped them away, "Ah, I'm sorry for-"

"Do not apologize." The daiyoukai grounded out more harshly than he intended. The human had _nothing_ to apologize for. He should not have left Rin alone yesterday. He... made a mistake. "Had I-" Sesshomaru clamped his mouth shut, desperately trying to reel in his scattered emotions under Rin's questioning gaze.

"Sesshomaru...?" The daiyoukai looked away from her but he could still see her trying to figure _him_ out, he would not wait to find out what—but she stepped closer, filling the empty space between as she grabbed his hands causing his eyes to meet hers again.

She gave his hands a quick squeeze, her teary smile returning, "I can speak! You gave me back my voice, my life..." He felt her thumbs softly move up-and-down against his stripes as a foreign, warming feeling coiled around his heart, one only she caused. "You have given me more than anyone else ever has." She let out a sad chuckle, "I don't really think I deserve it." She didn't give him a change to rebuke, placing a finger on his lips to quiet him. He narrowed his eyes at her, annoyed at being silenced but she kept speaking, unfazed by his glaring.

"And _I'm sorry_... because I should have..." The woman pulled her hand away, looking down. "I should have told Kagome to call you, _something_. We shouldn't have left alone." Rin sighed, "I should have known he would find us and follow." She peered up at him while a shy look, her eyes searching for something in his. "If I call for you, will you come?"

"Yes." He answered without hesitation, making her cheeks flush and her smile return. A moment passed but the woman did not break their contact, her eyes observing his face with intense interest, specifically the moon-marking on his forehead. Like a curious child, her hand came up, brushing away his bangs but paused just before they touched the skin, pulling away.

"I'm sorry—No, not, aahhh... That's not okay... right?" Sesshomaru raised a brow, _now_ she decided to question her unreserved touching of his person?

As if she heard his thoughts, she pouted, "I know what it means _now_! I just don't want to insult you, or, gah, I don't know." He stayed quiet and the woman grew increasingly flustered at his silence. "I thought that because I was human and didn't know, you were letting it pass and... uhm... Maybe that's different now...? No, t-that's makes no sense, I mean, everything is still the same. B-but do you... want me too? Or is it just-" Her ridiculous and mortified stammering was enough to break the last threads of his self control, his arms finding their way around her small waist, pulling her flush against him and earning himself a 'meep' from the startled woman.

"Had there been a problem, you would not be standing here." Sesshomaru growled softly in her ear, offering her some clarity.

Rin gave a nervous chuckle, "Yeah, the book said something like that." Her attention re-directed back to the moon, her soft fingertips tracing its shape as he shut his eyes to concentrate on her touch. She lingered there for a moment, then both hands made their way to the sides of his face as her thumbs brushed against the liner marking on his eyelids. He opened his eyes when her thumbs settled against the stripes on his cheeks, softly caressing the colored skin. "Do you have any more...?" The daiyoukai nodded. "Oh, where?" Her question was innocent, unfortunately two of the three areas his covered markings reside were not.

Something in his senses possessed him to look up over the human woman at the room's entrance, and there he found Jaken, slack-jawed and frozen in place, staring at them. The daiyoukai had been so absorbed in Rin's scent, touches and the sound of her newly discovered voice, he never heard the frog youkai enter the study and hadn't the slightest idea of long he had been watching them. " _Jaken._ "

The promise of death laced in his voice was enough to get the frog youkai back to reality. "I-I-I'm sorry for intruding, my lord! The girl was missing from her room so I came to inform you b-b-but I see everything is, uh, fine! Completely fine and not out of the ordinary, _nothing unusual whatsoever_ -" " **Jaken.** " "I'll take my leave!" The short youkai missed the open door, twice, before successfully leaving the room.

"I think you scared him." Rin mumbled, having turned a bit in his arms to watch the exchange. "The rest of the people in here seemed to act strange..."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, "Were you disrespected?"

"What? No, no, nothing like that. They just seemed afraid to talk to me... I found you by accident."

"Hn." He didn't think he could handle another fit of blushing and stammering from her if he explained it was because of _his_ fur wrapped around her... Sesshomaru pulled away from her and he noticed her frown at being let go, but made no comment as he made his way back to his desk, the woman trailing behind him.

"I will order a guard to take you down outside the front gates so you may purchase clothing and other necessitates you may need." The daiyoukai grabbed his wallet and pulled out a black metal card with a single gold stripe across. "If you wish for a female companion, Minako was quite insistent on accompanying you. She will be in or around the dining hall."

Rin accepted the card, then looked at him puzzled. "Minako... the cat?"

"She is a feline youkai. You know her?"

The woman smiled brightly, "She used to work at Blue Moon with me." She then gave him a curious look, "Am I staying here...?"

"For now. Ryūkotsusei does not yet know you live. It is best to keep it that way."

"Oh... I understand." Rin replied, unwrapping herself from the boa and gently placing it on the chair across his desk. "Ah..." She started, looking at him as she toke a step forward, but turned red and lost her nerve, "Nevermind! See you later!" And nearly sprinted out of his study.

-:-

A separate man waited for her at the end of the hall. Tall and broad with light-colored green triangle-shaped markings framing his face, though he wore no armor, the way he stood was that of a soldier. He bowed when she approached, "My name is Saiten, Ms-"

"Rin is fine."

The large man blinked in surprise, "I was told you were mute."

"Oh, ahh... I can speak now." Rin explained, not wanting to get to into it. "Its complicated."

"Very well. Will Minako be joining us?"

"Yes! Can you lead me to her?"

"Of course, follow me."

Rin kept close behind the man as they slipped through lines of occupied servants, making their way to the dining hall. "Its so busy..." The woman remarked, her eyes on the look-out for the golden-haired youkai.

"The annual Wild Hunt is approaching. Preparations are underway." Saiten explained, pausing to wait for a couple of people to pass.

"Wild Hunt?"

"Yes, a large gathering involving those who live on base. The gates are opened all 3 nights and the youkai go out to hunt. Many do to impress a potential mate before the frost arrives, others for competition to see how kills the largest youkai elk, for example." The man waved down someone. "There she is."

Minako looked the same as the day she last saw, her bronze skin glowing and her vibrant, golden locks bouncing with each step. Her slanted green eyes widened when they caught sight of her, "Rin!" The cat youkai slipped in between all the servants in the way, disturbing none, giving Rin a quick hug, "I'd never thought I would see you again!"

"I'm happy to see you too, Minako!" Rin exclaimed, grinning wide. 'Its nice to know someone else here...'

The feline's jaw dropped, "Did you... Did you just?"

"Oh, yeah." Rin said, playing with the hem of her top. 'This is going to keep happening... a lot.' Not that she blamed them. "My throat healed, I can speak now!"

"No way! What was it? You had surgery or something?"

Did getting a claw through her chest and having a magic sword close up her wounds and heal her throat count as surgery? 'It does now...' "Something like that." She nervously replied, "I need clothes it looks like. I'm not sure how long I'm staying here..."

"Right, right. Let's go!"

-:-

The place was like a massive military base mixed with a shopping mall, Rin noted, as she let Minako lead her around. She frequently saw men and women dressed in casual camo outfits, either marching in formation or hanging out on street corners. Saiten had left them, mentioning he will be watching to ensure their safety but wanted to give them privacy. There was also one important detail she noticed about the people... And the way they kept staring at her.

"Minako..?"

"Yeah? Let's go in here! They have cute clothes."

Rin followed her inside the boutique, "Are... are there no humans here?"

"Uhm, not that I have seen, but I've only been here about 2 months."

"How did you get here?"

The cat clicked her tongue, "Can't discuss specifics... but I helped some military scouts on a mission when I was still at the club. They offered me a place here if I continued to help. I did. Now I'm here!" She grabbed a pink blouse and showed it to her, "What about this?"

Rin felt the soft fabric, "Yeah, that's cute... You knew about this place?"

"Of course. What youkai doesn't? No one _outside_ knows where it is though. Lord Sesshomaru is doing a pretty good job at keeping this place hidden." The feline grabbed a baby blue dress with white lace at the hems, "This?"

Rin nodded before continuing, "This place... its massive, how?"

"You noticed the barrier, right? The dome keeps this place invisible from everything. Youkai and human senses, electronic devices, radio waves, crap like that."

"That must be hard to maintain..." The human mumbled, picking out a white skirt. 'Kaede and Kagome would have to reinforce the barrier on the shrine grounds every week, and it didn't cover even an eighth of what this place is.'

" _Oh yeah_ , it is. Most of our tax dollars go into maintenance of the dome." The women finished up in that shop, and quickly found another. "I have to ask..." Minako started whispering, "What's the deal with you and Lord Sesshomaru?"

Rin gave her a confused look, "What makes you think there is anything?"

"I'm a cat. You smell like you were rolling around in his fur all night." Minako said, smirking when Rin's eyes widened. 'That was his!?' "Also you are staying in the royal hall, I couldn't visit you."

"I am?"

"Yeah... Only the royal family and close pack members are allowed there. You're not his mate, so you aren't family. You're pack."

"He never said anything about that." Rin grumbled, beginning to feel a tinge of annoyance at how unclear the daiyoukai was about everything remotely personal. She should have asked earlier in his study, but she was distracted by... well, him.

"Hrm... FYI, the royal family only meets once a year, during the Wild Hunt, they stay all stay in the castle... And from what I heard about them, you are going to hear _a lot_ of arguing." Minako waved her hand, grabbing her out of the second store and into a rather up-scale looking adult boutique. "Forgot about that, you need some sexy lingerie just in case."

"In case of what?!" Rin whispered loudly, "Nothing is going on between us."

"Yeah, _now_. I doubt Lord Sesshomaru took a young, virgin female into his pack with no intention of mating her. _That's just weird_." The human's heart quickened as the feline blatantly stated what she herself was avoiding to think about since she educated herself a bit on inuyoukai. Her distress seemed apparent as Minako put a hand on her shoulder, "Are you alright?" She leaned in close, "He didn't kidnap you, right?"

Rin sighed, "No."

"Okay... What's the problem? Why are you freaking out? ...Don't you like him?"

"I..." The woman frowned. She was definitely physically attracted to him, and perhaps she could say that feeling was mutual, but beyond that, she never gave it too much thought. He did many things for her, that she is eternally grateful for, but where did the line of 'Because he cares' begin and the line of 'Because he needs me for Ryūkotsusei' end?

"You're over-thinking this." Minako grumbled, shaking her head. "For youkai, instinct is first, feelings come later, maybe. Don't be all human about it." The cat youkai walked around the store, and grabbed a cupless bra and crotchless panty set in cobalt blue, "Is this too much?"

Rin gave the feline an exasperated look, "I'm not wearing that." The woman decided to look around herself, not wanting the cat to figure out what her intimate wear should be. 'Not that I'm going to use it anyway.' She reminded herself, 'We aren't going to do anything.' It seemed the more she thought that, the more everyone else around her thought otherwise.

Her eyes caught a white lace chemise that hugged the mannequins curves, with scalloped lace trim edges and a small silk pink bow at the end of the V-neckline, just below the chest. She looked at the back, bottom ruched up to gather around the tailbone with another matching bow. She touched the string of pearls that extended down from the next over the exposed back. 'This one is nice, and he likes white...' The woman let go of the string, shaking her head. 'What am I thinking!?'

"That's the one!" Unfortunately, Minako caught her staring at the chemise and _demanded_ she purchased it.

And she did, paling at the price at the register. Apparently, the silk bows and the lace were made of the finest youkai spider silk in the dark forest and weaved personally by them. The pearls were not only real, but formed inside only the most resilient youkai oysters that survived a parasite that threatened their species nearly a decade ago. Minako whistled, "Now you _have_ to wear it."

They continued on, purchasing a few more items across the shopping street before stopping at a coffee shop for drinks and sandwiches. "What made you want to come here?" Rin asked, munching on a ham and cheese croissant.

"I was tried of the club, Rin. So tried of it. Yeah, the pay was decent, more than an office job or retail, that's for sure, but... I couldn't take it anymore. My education is worth nothing to humans because they think my English, Mathematics, Political Science and History degrees are outdated. Never mind that I'm also fluent in 5 languages and I served their military for 10 years." Rin blinked in shock, having no idea the feline was formally educated in so many subjects _and_ served. "Even if I did go back to school, it wouldn't matter. They never cared what I could do or what I knew, they just saw these cat eyes and deemed I could not be trusted, that I would go _wild_ one day or whatever ignorant humans think of us. I gave it a chance, a long one, but it was enough. I rather be here, with other youkai, even if it means I can never leave."

"Never leave?"

The feline scoffed, "How do you think Lord Sesshomaru keeps this place a secret? Once you are in, you can't leave. Only the royal family and select military scouts and generals are allowed to freely move in and out of the dome."

They finished the rest of their food quietly before leaving, realizing it was rather late. The two drank colorful fruit juices as they made their way back to the castle gates with large shopping bags in hand.

"Let me assist you, ladies." Saiten seemed to re-appear out of nowhere, extending his hands to grab their bags.

"Thank you, Saiten." Rin said, passing them to him. She had forgotten he was watching in the shadows... which meant he knew they were in the adult store. 'That's embarrassing.' The human thought, not wanting anyone else to think too deeply into her relationship with Sesshomaru.

"Yeah, thanks!" Minako added more to his arms, then looked at Rin. "I had fun, we should hang out more often!" The human nodded. "Work is getting really busy as we prepare for the hunt, so I probably can't till that blows over."

The women said their farewells as they entered the castle, Minako heading to the East hall as Saiten lead Rin to the West hall. "Hey, Saiten?"

"Yes?"

"Will you be participating in the hunt?"

The man glanced at her, "Yes. There is a group of soldiers I'm a part of that compete for the greatest kill."

Rin smiled, "No potential mate you are interested in?"

The man smiled in return, "No. My desire is to protect the families here and my duty is solely to Lord Sesshomaru as it was for his father before him."

"You served his father?" Rin opened her bedroom door for the youkai and gestured he drop her purchases on the bed.

"Ah, yes. Long ago." The youkai didn't seem he wanted to talk more about that. "If you need an escort outside the castle gates, I am available at any time." He handed her a phone. "My number is there, along with Lord Sesshomaru, Minako and Jaken. I am sure Jaken will have a servant assigned to you tomorrow if he has not already."

"Thank you." Rin accepted the phone and slipped it into her jean pocket, "Do you know what happened to my personal phone...?"

"It was disposed of." Rin blinked. "Outside electronic devices are not allowed here. Security protocol. I apologize."

"No, that's alright..." Rin started, "Can I ask which room is which in this hall? I don't want to disturb anyone..."

"Of course. All the way down the end of the hall through the double doors is the lounge room. There is another hall of rooms across the lounge but all are empty. " Saiten said, pointing left, "The next door is Lord Inuyasha's and the room next to yours is empty. The black door across the hall is Lord Sesshomaru's room. The next door is an empty room. The last door across from yours is Lady Inukimi's. The family visits for the Wild Hunt but rarely anytime outside of that, so you needn't worry about disturbing any of them once the event is over."

"When do they arrive?" Rin asked, realizing how nervous she was about seeing Sesshomaru's family. 'Its doesn't matter, you're just a friend.' She tried to reason with her anxiety. Everyone else is just jumping to conclusions, they don't understand her relationship with him. 'Do you?' Her mind sneered and... she wasn't sure either.

"Lord Inuyasha tries to spend as little time here as possible. He comes around noon on the day it starts, avoids contact with nearly everyone for the next 2 days and leaves in the morning after the final event. The Lady comes usually the day before and leaves in the afternoon afterward. You should not expect her for another 2 or 3 days." Rin heard his watch buzz and he glanced down, before bowing. "I apologize. I must take my leave, Rin."

She smiled, "That's fine, Saiten. Thank you for your time today."

With the youkai gone, Rin began pulling her freshly bought clothes out of their bags, hanging and folding everything, feeling much more relaxed. Saiten was nice, but she was not used to having an escort and he mentioned she'll get a maid as well. 'That's too much.' She thought, 'I don't need all that.' The roof over her head seemed to be over-kill in the security part, and that was all she needed.

Rin pulled out one of the sweater dresses she bought as the days were starting to get colder, in an ivory color and off-shoulder. 'Would he like it?' She let out an annoyed growl at the thought.

It was official. Yura, Kagome, Minako—they all got in her head. Minako said her piece but she imagined what the other girls would say. She could hear Yura making some inappropriate comment about how since Sesshomaru got her voice back, she should repay him by screaming his name in ecstasy. She could hear Kagome sigh happily about how much he must care to go and bring her back from the dead, and how she would want a man to do the same for her.

She desperately needed Sango's level questioning and sanity because these thoughts were starting to sound not _so_ bad. 'He certainly acts like _he_ wouldn't mind...' She thought, thinking back to the stares, the smirks and the kiss. 'Would that be okay? To just... sleep with him?' She wasn't particularly saving herself for a husband... She never really thought that far.

It was always about money, to save for an escape. Now it was Ryūkotsusei, to fight for her life... which she already lost once. Something told her she won't get a third chance, so she should take advantage of her second chance at life and do things she normally would be too frightened or unsure of to do, like losing her virginity to a certain handsome daiyoukai. But a part of her persisted, wanting to only share a bed with someone she had a nice, normal, healthy relationship with, not something purely physical.

Where would a normal and healthy relationship fit, when she was hiding from a blood-thirsty dragon who now held a ancient jewel of unspeakable power, one that only she could possess? No where. The answer was no where. 'At least not with a human.' Her mind teased.

'He doesn't want a relationship with me.' Rin mentally fought with herself as her mind decided to betray her once more, recalling the intimate touching of his markings and the way he smiled when she said his name for the first time. She sighed, 'Should I just... ask him? I don't know how this works.' It didn't help that to her, he was unclear... though she was unclear herself.

The woman glanced at the large bed with a frown, remembering just the night before. Being wrapped in his arms... It was the safest she ever felt in her life. She didn't have to worry. No one could hurt her, not with him there. The moment she left, she was damned. Rin didn't want to sleep here. The room was lovely, the view was lovely, everything was lovely but... 'Not without him.' She admitted, 'I want him.'

Rin's gaze fell one of the most pricey purchases on the day. An innocent white box with cursive, silver letters that read 'Bijoux's Boudoir' straight across, sitting among the rest. 'When would I even wear this?' Would there be a right time? Does she just change into the chemise and slip into his room at night? She never chased after a man, they always came to her to see her strip and nothing past that. In the end, could she even build up the courage to _honestly_ pursue the daiyoukai?

'Probably not.' Rin thought, now dejected from far too much thinking. _"Don't be all human about it."_ Minako had told her. 'Yes, stop thinking, Rin.' She should just change, march into the daiyoukai's bedroom, grab him, and have her way with him.

"That's silly." She whispered, that was never going to happen. Now what in the world was she going to do with the expensive lace?

"Rin."

The woman nearly jumped out her skin, throwing bags to cover the box before spinning around, glaring at the daiyoukai who, once again, snuck in her room. "You should knock."

"I did. You did not answer."

She gave him an exasperated look, "So you come in anyway?"

He stepped closer to her, a perfect brow raised. "It is my home." 'Well, that's... that's true.' Rin thought. "And I came to retrieve my card, I think you have done enough damage to my wallet..."

'Ah, he would know how much I spent—does he know where I went?!' Rin couldn't help the shaking hand as she reached her purse and gave him back the metal card, "H-here. I did get Minako something. It wasn't e-expensive or a-anything." Why did she start stammering with him? She was speaking fine all day. 'Calm down, Rin!'

Though he accepted the card, the daiyoukai stayed standing in place, watching her carefully. "You are acting strange."

"Ah, nope. Everything is fine!" She replied, giggling nervously.

"Saiten treated you well, I assume?"

"Yup, he's nice. He's great."

"And you enjoyed your outing with Minako? You were gone for quite some time..."

"Yeah, its nice to know s-someone else here." Rin heard a swooshing sound behind her and turned to see the air from the AC vent was strong enough to blow the empty bags away. She quickly covered the box again, securing the bags. When she turned back again, Sesshomaru was nearly against her, his eyes curious. The daiyoukai seemed to not care one bit about personal space.

"What are you hiding?"

"Nothing. I mean, I'm not hiding anything!"

"Rin."

"Its j-just clothes! Nothing interesting." Rin felt the hotness in her cheeks and she knew she was going to lose this exchange if she didn't act fast. He _could not_ see what was in the box. So when the daiyoukai leaned closer, his arm going around her smaller frame as he reached to reveal what she hid, his neck was in a perfect spot in front of her face and she happened to remember the section about nipping she skimmed through in her book.

So she did just that. Rin softly bit his neck in hopes to get him to stop. 'It worked!' She thought triumphantly, letting go of his skin. Though she soon realized he was oddly still and a low, rumbling growl began to vibrate against her, "S-Sesshomaru?" She asked unsure. She gasped when a clawed hand tangled in her hair, holding her in place as the inuyoukai pulled back just enough for her to meet his golden-red eyes and the stripes on his face losing their clean edge. It was not anger in his eyes.

 _Maybe_ she should have read the whole section.

The daiyoukai dove and captured her lips in a searing kiss, as his other arm wrapped around her, trapping her against his hard body. Her hands gripped the collar of his jacket as her body willed her to respond, pressing her lips firmly against his. His tongue brushed against her lower lip, and she opened her mouth willingly, a soft whimper escaping her as the inuyoukai brushed his tongue against hers.

Rin broke the kiss, then moved her hands under his suit jacket and the daiyoukai lowered his arms, letting her slip the offending clothing off his shoulders and to the floor. She looked up at Sesshomaru, momentarily struck by the longing churning in his golden gaze. He quickly kissed her again, overwhelming her with his hunger as her body shivered with delight. She hadn't realized when her back touched the grey comforter of her bed and a small voice in her head pointed out she may want to say something, but it died when Sesshomaru moved to her neck, gently biting the same spot she had on him and drawing a soft moan from her lips.

The daiyoukai continued teasing her neck, finding that one sensitive spot that drew another more powerful moan from her. He silenced her with his lips, and her hands began to undo the buttons that kept his upper body hidden from her touch. She contemplated just ripping his shirt open when the daiyoukai froze again, though this time...

She squeaked at the angry youki that nearly shocked her coming from him, as a growl rolled off his chest. "Sessh?" Rin questioned, as her hand moved to his cheek, ignoring the hotness of the aggravated youki.

His eyes glanced at her door before they met hers, "Stay here." The daiyoukai ordered, slipping away from her heated body almost reluctantly and putting his jacket back on. Sesshomaru left her room without another word. Rin stared at the ceiling, trying to regulate her panting as her mind processed _what_ just happened. She sat up, willing herself to ignore her body's desires as she grabbed the white box beside her and slid it under her bed.

'Get a hold of yourself...' Trying to distract herself, she put away the last bit of clothing and trashed the empty bags. 'You know he is just going to walk back in here like nothing happened. Just like the other times. You got to beat him at this.' That was when he walked in again, and as she suspected, stoic mask back in full force. 'How can he do that so easily?' She blushed and hugged herself, unable to look him in the eye, "Did something happen?"

"My mother is here early, driven by... curiosity." Rin froze, looking at him wide-eyed. 'What did he mean by that? Was she here early because of her? Oh gods, did she know what they were doing?!' "Avoid engaging her whenever possible. She plays far too many games." The daiyoukai warned. "I have dismissed her for now, but no doubt she will want to see you first thing in the morning."

"Why...?" Rin had a feeling she knew the answer.

"Because she must constantly stick her nose into my personal business." But Sesshomaru never gave a true, straight answer. "It is late. I will see in the morning." Rin nodded and watched the daiyoukai leave, frowning. She meant to ask him so many things... and ended up with only a horde of more questions. The woman sighed and changed into a pair of fuzzy shorts and a simple tee before bundling up in her new bed.

Rin didn't know how long she stared blankly at the wall, trying to sleep but her mind was having none of that. She glanced at the clock. 'Three hours...' She got out of bed and choose to step out onto her private balcony, ignoring the biting cold wind on her bare arms and legs. Leaning against the railing, she looked up at the night sky, the stars and moon so much brighter than they were in the city.

" _Now that you stand at death's door, was it worth it, Rin, to challenge me?"_

Rin trembled, her hand resting at the spot where the fatal wound occurred. There was zero trace of it... but that didn't matter, she could feel it... When he pierced her skin, her lungs, breaking her rib cage as the hand went clean through her and she was powerless against it all. She could only take the hit and _die_. She gripped the metal railing until her knuckles turned white. She wouldn't cry.

" _Its over now. You can see your mother again."_

'I kind of did, didn't I?' The woman thought, recalling the dream she had before she woke. 'Was it a dream? Or was I caught in the middle...?' Her mother made it seem that way... Her smile was the same, if it was real, and her laugh... her embrace... It had to be real. Rin blinked back the tears in the her eyes. She cried enough with her father. She wouldn't do it again. She had to be strong, it was not an option. She wouldn't cry.

" _But... you have someone waiting for you. And my, my, isn't he handsome?"_

The woman let out a sadden laugh, she had been so worried about what her mother would think about her daiyoukai escapades... But her mother wouldn't care as long as she was safe and happy. The road to safety was bumpy but she believed she finally got there, at least for the moment. Happiness was far more complicated than that, and she frowned, sniffling, thinking it was probably not meant for her. She wouldn't cry.

" _Sesshomaru!" She repeated with a giggle, nearly bouncing with excitement. His name was a bit complicated but she was able to say it! She could say anything! The woman suddenly gasped, seeing his eyes soften and lips curl into a small but honest smile. It was completely captivating, and she most definitely wanted to see him do that again, and again. "I like your smile." His brows raised in shock, and she just realized... "Did I just say that aloud?"_

Something in that memory finally broke her resolve, a shaky sigh came with start of her tears. She shook her head, rubbing them away but they kept coming. It was all too much. The past two days was _far too much_. The cuddling, the kissing, the fleeing, the _bleeding_ , _the dying_ , the ghost, the resurrection, her voice, his smile, the feelings she couldn't restrain, the feelings that may or may not be mutual, and the fear of what could or could not happen next drove her to the ground. Rin sobbed as she hugged herself tightly, shivering again as the wind blew once more.

Was it wrong to need him again so soon? Would it annoy him? "Sesshomaru..." She called, a whisper she didn't expect much from. There was no way he could hear it over the howling wind. It was a half-hearted attempt... she didn't want to be a bother again...

But he came, so quickly, his arms around her in that way that just seemed right... She turned to face him and buried her head in chest, not wanting him to see her tear-streaked face, but he wouldn't allow it, lifting her chin and gave two short licks to clean her tears, causing her to laugh. "You are cold. Come." Rin let him pull her back into her bedroom and they both cuddled together like the night before, though this time there was something different about it...

She ignored the feeling for now, her restless mind focusing on Sesshomaru's soft breathing as it lulled her to sleep.

-:-

"There was more than enough blood to confirm she died. Sesshomaru came and took the girl's body." Tsubaki started, crossing her arms over her chest. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

The hanyou stared at the dark miko in front of her. She liked to believe she was in control in their relationship, but that could not be any further from the truth. "No, I can't fathom what the inuyoukai could want with a corpse... Though she was quite lovely."

Tsubaki scowled at him, "Don't be so depraved."

Naraku shrugged, "I suggested nothing."

"You _know_ something about all this and I want to know what is going on. Why did Ryūkotsusei tear up that shrine? What was he after?"

"Hmm, sounds like questions for the dragon, not I."

"Had he not _vanished_ afterward, I certainly would be interrogating him and not wasting my time with you. I know you all met recently at the Shichinintai mansion. Then I heard you had a private chat with Sesshomaru the morning after, then hours later, all this transpires. What were all you talking about it, hm?"

"Food for our people, land for our people, the rights of our people... Such interesting things I have heard recently about the Slayers and mikos abusing their power... Would you know anything about that?" The hanyou countered, leaning back into his leather chair.

The dark miko glared, "Sounds like exaggerations, and completely off-topic."

"It is what concerns me. What Sesshomaru does with a human woman, and what Ryūkotsusei does to a miko shrine? No, those things are not my concern."

"It will when it leads back to you." Tsubaki glowered, "Don't think you'll be safe."

"Are you threatening me, Tsubaki?" Naraku chuckled, "I'm sure the humans would love to hear how for the past five decades the mikos meant to protect them from youkai... have been led by a dark, corrupted miko using youaki blood for her _vanity_ , of all things."

"Go to hell, Naraku!" Tsubaki sneered, slamming the door on her way out, ignoring the laughs of the dark hanyou.

**End of Chapter 10**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not a Sess/Rin fic if she doesn't die. :P The chapter was suppose to end at her death in a cliffhanger but then I decided to change that and keep writing, to not be so cruel... Though ya'll are going to want to kill me for what I have planned for the next chapter, mayybee.
> 
> I don't actually know if Rin literally could not speak before being revived or not in the manga/anime. It could have been emotional, more likely really, but, whatever, I'm running with it!
> 
> So Saiten was the youkai dude in the fourth movie that approached Sesshomaru with a chick, who I'll also probably include somewhere, about killing the gods cause it was Toga's last wish and whatever. In case anyone was wondering!
> 
> I'm little worried I'm going to end up making their relationship move too fast, as the reader in me wants them to bang already while the writer in me thinks they need to suffer a bit more. We'll see. Sorry for the constant teasing in this chapter. ;P
> 
> Thanks to all those who reviewed and kudo'ed!


	11. Signals Crossing

 

'Thoughts'

_Flashbacks_

Original Publish Date: 4/3/2017

A/N #1: This chapter is somehow longer than the last. Oops. Fair warning!

Rin stirred from her sleep, feeling a hand run down the length of her body and warm breath tickling her ear. "Rin." A deep voice called her to leave her slumber, but she protested, until a pair of lips trailed down to her neck and fangs gently latched onto the junction at her shoulder, drawing a soft moan from her.

"Sessh...?" She questioned, her voice still groggy and too tired to pronounce his full name. The strong arms that encompassed her tightened, lining her body with his perfectly. She gasped in surprise when she felt his hardness pressed against her. _That_ woke her right up. Rin swallowed thickly, "Sesshomaru?" She tried again, this time turning around to face the daiyoukai.

She swore he was fully clothed when they slept. Certainly, it would not be something she would forget if the daiyoukai climbed into her bed with only a pair of boxer briefs—He stole her lips, as if to silence her thoughts, and she felt whatever little resistance she _may_ have had disappear when his tongue brushed beside hers. She let the daiyoukai push her back down on the bed when he rose above her, slipping between her legs. Her arms draped around his shoulders as he settled against her, never breaking their kiss.

Rin moaned when he grounded his hips toward her's, her hands tangling in his hair as her legs wrapped around his slim waist, trying to feel more of him against her, but clothes separated them and she whimpered realizing it was not enough, her body only burned hotter in anticipation. She broke their kiss, breathless, "Sessh, please..."

His mouth moved to her jawline, leaving a trail of nibbling kisses as he moved down her neck, he growled, "Tell me what you want, Rin."

His hand made its way to her tank top and pulled up, baring her chest to the cold air. Rin squirmed helplessly under his touch as he cupped her breast, his dangerous claws teasing her nipple. "You... I want you." She managed to say, but that wasn't enough.

"Want me to do what?" The daiyoukai asked, before he dropped his head further, his mouth catching her neglected nipple between his sharp fangs. She couldn't think, only wanting him elevate the growing desire burning in her core.

"Ahh, I.. Ah..." Rin tried to speak, but she couldn't find the words in the haze of the pleasure he caused. She could only beg. "Please..." She squeezed her legs harder before grinding her wet core against him, earning a low groan from the daiyoukai. Suddenly, he grabbed her hips and pushed them back down to the mattress, a heated red started to tinge his gaze.

And she woke up.

Rin froze in her spot, realizing everything was just a dream and she was completely alone in her room, wrapped in the boa of his fur with her legs clenching it. Mortified that she was probably dry-humping the thing, she quickly pushed it aside and sat up, trying to ignore the wetness pooled in her nether regions. 'Oh gods, what was that?' Its not that she never ever had those kind of dreams before, but they were so rare and far between... and never one so intense. 'Cold shower. Now.' She thought, nearly flying into the bathroom. 'Oh god, oh god... What if someone smelled that?' "Can they?"

_... His claws skirted down her open back and she pushed against his shoulders to no avail. "… and smell. I can detect your excitement."_

"That's right." He confirmed that _day freaking one_ of meeting him. She sincerely hoped he was on the other side of the castle, far enough to not catch a puff of anything. 'Or... Maybe... He did and he is on his way to take care of you~' Her mind teased, bringing with it another rush of—she dumped herself under the cold water that felt like ice prickling her skin. ' _Calm down_ , Rin.' "Let's forget about all that."

-:-

Having successfully washed away any dirty thoughts and scents off of her (she hoped), Rin now stealthy moved through castle, determined to get to Saiten in the training room and get out before being confronted by _anyone_... particularly Sesshomaru's mother. She... wasn't ready for that yet, especially if she was as bad as Sesshomaru put it. 'Too bad I have no clue where she is...' And her scent must stick out like a sore thumb being the _only_ human in the vicinity.

"Ah, Rin, I see you were able to get here just fine." Saiten greeted her as she walked into the wide, large room. It seemed some other personal guards were sparring amongst each other and she tilted her head, curious.

"Hey Saiten...?"

"Yes?" The youkai was gathering his things.

"Can you train me? I had a friend teaching me some basics before I got here..."

The man cleared his throat, "I would not mind, Rin, but I would need Lord Sesshomaru's okay first."

She gave him a puzzled look, "Why?"

He seemed... uneasy. "He is your Alpha. It would be... unwise to put you in harm's way, even if it is just training and sparring, without his approval first."

"That seems silly, the training is for my benefit." Rin commented but the youkai quickly changed subjects,

"You wished you leave the castle grounds, correct? May I ask where?"

Rin let the change slide, "I saw a large forest and a pond far from here, near the base of a mountain... Can you take me there? Being from the city, I don't get to enjoy those sights as much as I would like..."

The youkai frowned, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Rin, I cannot take you there without Lord Sesshomaru's permission as well. The forests are inhabited by more wild, baser youkai."

"Saiten, I'm trying to get out of here. I don't want to see _her_ yet." Rin finally admitted in a low whisper. "Anywhere, please."

The man looked surprised, then put his hand on his chin, a concentrated look on his face. "Hmm... Alright, follow me."

-:-

Rin was not the only one avoiding the Lady Mother...

Sesshomaru sat in his second study, one further from his main one in a quiet, empty hall on the 3rd floor of his home. He knew he would not have peace for long, but enjoyed it while he can. He cursed the wagging tongues of his servants, undoubtedly how his mother find out about Rin so quickly, and would kill whomever told her.

'The miko has escaped the hospital she being treated in. We were able to track her down and claims the anti-youkai police force cannot be trusted, she has yet to cooperate with any mikos that have approached her from the start of her stay to now. She also claims they will capture her and torture her for information. She seeks asylum.'

The daiyoukai narrowed his eyes at the report, 'Torture her?' He rose from seat, burning the report in a small, lit fireplace. He leaned on the mantle, 'She was adamant of concealing her reiki.' He had not known she was a miko until they're encounter at the shrine. 'Why work at a strip club when she could get a top-paying position easily in the force with some extra training? What makes her believe the mikos will harm her?' They were the only ones in the city who could provide her some reasonable protection if Ryūkotsusei decided to go after her.

'Rin would be happy.' The daiyoukai sneered at the thought, he would not be granting a mortal enemy of his people a place in his home _simply_ because the woman would be more content here. The human already caused a bit of stir within his people... He had to consider the dragon might try to pull information out of the miko about his cooperation—it would jeopardize his people outside the dome, and Naraku's people as well.

Not that he gave a damn about the spider, but his youkai race was already fleeting, they could not afford more pointless death. He had already received several reports that the few human-run business within Ryukotsusei's territory had been flushed out, their owners, and any youkai patrons that tried to protect them, killed. Ryūkotsusei's rhetoric of killing humans and their 'apologists' meant youkai were not excused, and hanyous will surely suffer the most, all over again.

They will fight, they will fail, and the image of youkai as mindless beasts will be refreshed in the older humans who have seen this decades ago and be firmly implanted in those who have yet to experience it... The dragon was not the first, and he doubted he would be last. How was it that despite how long individuals of his race lived, they were doomed to repeat history time and time again?

The smell of jasmine mixed with the sharp bitterness of poison interrupted his thoughts and he knew his peace was done.

"Aha~! Here you are." He did not bother looking up as he walked back to his desk. "Now, my son, where is that girl of yours? Introduce me! I have waited long enough." He did not bother responding. "Are you keeping her from me?" The question was ludicrous and she knew it. As if he would go through the trouble of locking Rin out of sight. The older woman sighed, "Will you continue ignoring me?" He planned to. "Oh, stop acting like such a child. I'm not going to harm her, you know that." Physically? No, his mother was not the fighting sort. Her talent was mending someone's will to her own. "Do you know where she is?"

"Rin is allowed to wander the base grounds as she sees fit. She could be anywhere here."

"You let her off alone? Aren't you worried one of our own might mistake her for a snack?" He did not dignify that with a response. There was no youkai foolish enough to attack Rin while his scent marked her, and for any who decided to, Saiten will dispose of immediately. The woman sighed dramatically, "Why are you so cruel? It has been a year since we last saw each other, are you not happy to see me?"

"Not in the slightest."

Instead of being offended, the woman smirked, then let out an airy laugh, "I suppose I'll just have to track her down myself." She waved as she turned to leave, "I am so very curious to know how she has gotten along accepting your beast and-"

His voice cut her off, "You will not discuss personal matters with Rin."

His mother shrugged, ignoring his veiled anger, "Fine, but youattempting to hide all this speaks volumes." She said, before leaving.

-:-

"Hey, Saiten..."

The youkai seemed to increasingly get more nervous every time she wanted to ask a question, "Y-yes, Rin?"

"Are my questions making you uncomfortable?" Rin asked, frowning as they walked out the inner grounds gate to a large patch of green that looked like a park. She didn't think her questions were personal in any way, but maybe she was missing something...

"I don't mind, Rin, its just..." Saiten stopped at the edge of the path, looking out toward the playground. "There are some questions that you should ask Lord Sesshomaru instead. Questions of pack, status, or our culture... I imagine he would wish to personally educate you on these things."

"Is that an Alpha thing or-" Rin laughed, "I just did it. That's a question for him, right?"

Saiten smiled at her understanding, "Yes, but I'll gladly answer any questions you may have about the base."

Rin watched the children play, taking note of the differences between her human experience and youkai. One big difference is that some of the children were in their true forms, cheetahs, wolves, tigers, lions, racoons, and a... 'Llama?' were darting across the plains, chasing and hunting each other. "How many youkai live here?"

"Oh, about 20,000."

That was much less than she thought considering the sheer size of the base, but judging on how the little ones played, one youkai needed much more space than one human. "...How many hanyous?"

"12."

"... And humans?"

"One."

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Wow... Minako said she hadn't seen any, but this place is so huge..."

"To be fair, we have had a couple of humans on base throughout the centuries. The last human here before you passed on about 50 years ago... Ah... let's go this way." Rin began to noticed they weren't staying in one spot for longer than a few minutes and Saiten kept choosing areas that were more and more crowded as if...

"Are we being followed?" She whispered, holding on to the back of the youkai's leather jacket to not lose him in the sea of demons clamoring the market.

"You are perceptive! Yes, by the Lady Mother."

Rin frowned, "Is she going to be mad that you are leading me away?" She didn't want Saiten to get in any trouble.

Saiten gave her a smile, "No, in fact, you can say she is enjoying herself too much. Hunting is a satisfying-"

"I'm not prey." The human countered, stopping in her tracks. She was a bit nervous, yes, but she wasn't afraid of her.

"I apologize, do you wish to stop and wait for her to find us?" She hesitated but nodded all the same. Meeting her so far out from the castle, and Sesshomaru, was probably not the best idea, but she was not going to keep running! 'It will be fine. She can't be that bad, right?' "Let's pick a quieter spot then." The two sat in an empty a bench far off from the bustling market, waiting for the inuyoukai to appear.

Rin noticed the sound of people around her grew quiet and she glanced over her shoulder, seeing the wide berth opening in the crowd. 'That has to be her...' Sesshomaru looked _very_ much like his mother, 'They have different markings...' She noticed the moon and the eyeliner-like sweep was the same, but she had one, short, curvy stripe, high on her cheekbones, just under her lemony eyes. She was shorter than Rin thought she would be and noticed she also had a boa, draped over her back and supported by her bent elbows. When Saiten rose from his seat, she followed, and he bowed so did she.

'I'm suppose to, right?' The human fidgeted, 'Sesshomaru never cared.' Her mind made the point that Sesshomaru was acting like a normal, human when those little things would have mattered the most. 'Well, she must outrank me... She's his mom.'

"My Lady." Saiten greeted.

"Saiten, I was enjoying the little chase. I'm so sad to see it ended so soon." The older woman pouted, and Rin caught the slight flush in Saiten's cheeks before he replied,

"I apologize, my Lady... but my escort caught on and wished to stop and meet you."

Rin took the cue to smile at the beautiful inuyoukai, "My name is Rin. It's a pleasure to meet you, my Lady."

"Now, don't be so formal. Inukimi is fine." The daiyoukai's smile seemed mischievous, "Saiten, will you excuse us? I would love to get to know this little human my son has brought."

"Yes, my Lady." He bowed at both of them and promptly vanished into the crowd across the street from them. 'How does he do that?' Rin absently thought before the daiyoukai's voice directed her attention back,

"Have you eaten? I'm famished."

"Ah, no, not yet."

"Good. Saiten, fortunately, lead you to this side of the base. My favorite brunch place is nearby. Come, come."

The restaurant seated them in the middle of a private empty room, and Rin looked over the menu. Everything sounded awesome but she noticed, like the cafe from yesterday, everything was made with youkai meat and dairy. That wasn't a problem for her to eat, it just meant it was impossible to finish even half a plate being so incredibly dense. Minako specifically told her to avoid any youkai offal as it has an excess of vitamins and minerals for a human, any straight coffee or espresso as the beans are cultivated from a special strand that had as much as quadruple the caffeine per oz, and no more than one glass of youkai wine or spirit though that she already had experience with.

"Two pancake flights. Sweet potato, carrot cake, white chocolate chip, blueberry, strawberry and red velvet." Inukimi ordered for them both. "Anything else would probably be to heavy for the human."  
She was thankful as she wasn't sure what would be best this time around. She didn't want to waste food.

"Yes, my Lady." The waiter walked off to the kitchens.

"Now, tell me..." The daiyoukai smoothed out the cloth napkin on her lap, settling herself in her chair before giving her a seemingly polite smile, "How do you meet my son?"

'Crap.' Rin thought, having to tell such a proper-looking lady that she worked at a strip club was embarrassing... 'It was going to come up...' The human sighed, not looking at the daiyoukai as she replied, "A gentlemen's club." That always made it sound a _tad_ bit better.

It gave the inuyoukai pause before she sipped her water, as Rin watched from the corner of her eyes as the Lady Mother processed the information. She then asked, putting her glass down. "Where?"

"At Shikon."

"You worked there... as a stripper?"

"Yes, I was one of the top ladies, I guess you can say..." Rin explained unsurely, not wanting to seem like she was bragging.

"Hmm, interesting. My son meets there occasionally with the other lords, correct?"

"Yes, he does."

"And how long have you known each other?

"A few months."

There was a moment of awkward silence as the lady seemed to openly scrutinize her _every_ _pore_. Thankfully, the waiter came in, setting two long plates with three pancakes of the ordered flavors on each. Her nose twitched at the sweet smell, unable to hold back her smile at how awesome they looked. But she held back. 'She must be the one to eat first, I think...'

"What are your intentions with my son?"

Rin shifted in her seat, ignoring her growling stomach. "I am helping him with... an issue he has with another lord." 'That's vague enough, right?' She thought, knowing Sesshomaru didn't want his mother to know any details about the jewel.

"Oh..." The Lady picked up a fork, and took a bite of food. She gestured for Rin to eat as well. 'YES!' She tried not to seem to eager as she took a piece of the red velvet pancake. 'Its so fluffy!' The human was happily enjoying the sweetness when the daiyoukai asked, "Does that involve fondling each other in your room?"

Rin nearly choked, covering her mouth with a napkin until she got the food down safely. "No... I... That's not..." She had no idea what to say.

"I am very curious as to why my son needs a human with no standing to deal with an opposing lord."

Her free hand fidgeted with the hem of the napkin draped over her lap, "You will have to ask Sesshomaru, my Lady."

The daiyoukai smirked, "Already has you covering for him? How sweet." Rin was going to object but Inukimi continued speaking, "You seem rather young." The older woman chuckled, "And _still_ a virgin. How strange that he hasn't just taken you... Ah, but you said you are helping him something important? He can't scare you off while you are still of use to him." Rin nearly winced at the woman's words, but she continued on, "But to bring you here, put you in _our_ hall and scent-mark you? That implies he intends to keep you around. He even sleeps in bed with you!" She growled, "Do you know the last time he has slept with his family?"

"Ah... no..." Rin squeaked, noticing the daiyoukai was getting increasingly agitated. Family must be sore subject for her as it is with Sesshomaru.

"When he was still a pup! Looking about 8 in human years." The Lady shook her head, "His own half-brother knows nothing about pack because Sesshomaru never gave him that type of necessary affection a growing inuyoukai needs, and it shows. But you..." Rin stared wide-eyed listening as she continued her rant, wanting to crawl in a hole when a painted claw pointed at her. "He wrapped you in his fur and curled up with you, _in your bed_ , not his, and I'm _sure_ that wasn't the first time. So I ask you again, Rin..." Her lemon-gold eyes narrowed dangerously, the human swore she saw a flash of red. "What are you intentions with my son?"

Rin swallowed hard, trying to gather what words to say. "I suppose..." She licked her lips nervously, "I suppose that depends on Sesshomaru. I... I am just here to help, my Lady. I can tell you that have no ill intentions. Sesshomaru has given me so much... I just wish to repay him in any way I can. I would do nothing that wasn't in his best interests..."

The daiyoukai stared at her for what seemed like hours, the tip of her nose twitching. 'Its only been half a minute.' She tried to reason, willing away her apprehension. Then the Lady just shrugged, before continuing her to eat. "Very well." Rin blinked, watching the older woman just munch on pancakes—"Eat! You need some more meat on those bones."-as if she didn't look like she was about to murder her a minute ago. She reluctantly picked up her fork again and joined, wary of any other question that she may ask.

"Do you have any family?"

"No, not anymore..."

"Oh, I apologize. What happened to them?"

"My mother died years ago in an accident. My father was killed recently due to a territorial dispute between Naraku and Ryūkotsusei." She spat the dragon's name with more venom than she intended and the Lady quickly picked it up,

"Does that have anything to do with what you are helping my son with?"

"Not really... Just what drove me to him."

"I see... Are you enjoying your stay here so far?"

Rin smiled and replied before taking another bite, "Yes, this place is very impressive."

" _Are_ you planning to bed my son?"

She almost choked, again. She had a feeling the daiyoukai kept waiting until she had food in her mouth to ask a shocking question on purpose. Rin felt her cheeks burning up, "What's with these questions?"

The daiyoukai looked as if she didn't ask anything strange or inappropriate. "Him having sex with a pack-mate when he has no mate has implications."

"What kind of implications?" 'Everything Minako said couldn't have been true... She was speculating, wasn't she?'

The woman looked surprised, "Surely, Sesshomaru has spoken to you about this. You have known each other for months you said."

"No... He was in a human disguise for the majority of that time. I've only learned more of inuyoukai in the past couple of days..."

"My goodness, and he almost took you last night. What a brute." The Lady looked torn between laughter and disappointment. "I suppose that is not too surprising. That involves speaking and being open with one another, two things that my son despises. How do you like the food?"

The two finished up without further embarrassment on Rin's part.

The Lady then insisted they go into the castle together with arms linked as they made their way to Sesshomaru who was likely in his study. Something about wanting her to get more comfortable with inuyoukai behavior, as the Lady emphasized involving a lot of touching, a lot of _openness_ about relationships despite the alpha's demeanor... and some barking.

"Barking? I can't-"

"Don't worry, little Rin, no one here expects you to do that." The female daiyoukai laughed.

Also to assure her son that she had no ill will towards her and acceptance of her presence in the family home, but once they found him, the suspicious shifting of his eyes between them told her that back-fired. Inukimi let her go, "Must you always look at me like I'm up to something?"

"You always are."

"You are wrong. We simply had a chat over brunch and I returned her in one piece and not at all frightened or threatened..." She countered, gesturing to Rin, "Right?"

"She's telling the truth..." Rin agreed. There was a moment she was concerned, but in the end, it was just a mother trying to make sure her son isn't being taken advantage of. She can respect that. The Lady Mother really didn't seem _as bad_ as Sesshomaru made her to be. It really could have gone over a lot worse.

"Very well..." Sesshomaru said, but she could tell that the daiyoukai still had his reservations, and if she could tell...

"You are impossible." His mother gritted before turning away and walking off in a flurry of fur and angry struts. Rin frowned, and couldn't help but feel a little bad for Inukimi.

"She really didn't do anything..." Rin reiterated, but the daiyoukai just continued on with his paperwork without another word. She sighed, dropping herself on the seat across from him, "She seemed sad that you don't do that cuddle thing with her, though, or your brother."

"Half-brother." He corrected, still not looking up from his papers. "And I'm far too old for that nonsense with them now." If that was true, why would his mother be so upset? The book didn't mention any age limit either, and he didn't have his own children to care for...

Rin silently watched the daiyoukai, as his golden eyes scanned the papers in his hand with his usual stoic expression, his silver hair spilling over his shoulders and the back of his seat. He wasn't wearing a tie, amazingly, and the first few buttons on the top of his shirt were open, her eyes zeroing in on the bit of exposed collarbone as her mind took her back to when the moonlight highlighted his chiseled torso. Blushing, she quickly squeezed her legs together, hard, and tried thinking of anything else but a shirtless Sesshomaru.

Talking should get her mind off it. "Aren't your mother and your brother are part of this pack?"

" _Half_ -brother, and no."

"No? I thought family is part of pack?"

"I never accepted them after my father's passing."

Rin blinked, now she was just confused. "I thought family was unconditionally part of it..."

"It was just my father, his wife, Izayoi, and I. My mother was estranged with my father at the time, and was kicked as he feared for Izayoi's safety. Inuyasha was born on the day of my father's death."

"Oh..." She wanted to ask more, 'What would Inukimi do to Inuyasha's mom?', but was afraid to press too hard and have him shut down. 'I'll have time to ask more about that later.' "Have you heard anything about Ryūkotsusei?" That seemed like a safe subject for him.

"No. He has gone dark since the shrine. Security has heightened in his districts, and his headquarters is barricaded."

'That's pretty ominous.' But Sesshomaru didn't seemed worried about it at all. 'He does that with everything.' She began playing with the hem of her skirt, thinking if she should ask her next question... The discussion with his mother earlier did bring it back to the forefront of her mind. "After he is handled... what then?"

"The jewel is sealed."

That's not what she meant. "I-I mean..." Rin pursed her lips, now tugging on her skirt nervously. "Do I still stay here? Do I go back to the city? Or...?"

"Do as you wish."

'Not-a-straight-answer number one...' "Do you want me to stay?"

"If it pleases you."

'And two...' "Let's say I wanted to nip you because you are annoying me, what would be the appropriate place?"

"The ear." Rin got up from her seat and made her way around, the daiyoukai seemed to be too absorbed into whatever he has reading to notice her. She felt the muscles in his shoulders tense when she placed her hands on them, and she nipped him, right at the tip of his left ear. She felt the vibration of his low growl through his clothing as he looked over his shoulder to her. "What are you doing?"

"Nipping you for annoying me."

"That was not a nip."

"It was!" She didn't want to bite _too_ hard.

The daiyoukai turned with his swirling office chair before grabbing her and pulling her onto his lap. She squeaked, "Ah, what are you-"

"This is a nip." She felt a quick, sharp pain in her ear from his bite and whimpered, shrinking away from him. 'That hurt!' " _This_ is what you did." He softly nibbled her ear, causing her to sharply inhale at the sensation, and gave a comforting lick to the spot his fangs pinched. 'There was no tongue in what I did!' She thought in protest, but allowed the daiyoukai to nuzzle her neck, shivering when her mind brought back her wicked dream.

Abruptly, Sesshomaru pushed her off of him and turned back to his work.

Rin frowned at the daiyoukai's back, but decided to drop it. She already felt a bit... excited... and that was just what she was trying to avoid a moment ago! As for nipping, next time, she'll bite harder. She'll make sure of it. For now, she had more important things to ask! "...Can Saiten train me?"

"No."

"Oh... Can you? But you seem busy all the time."

"No."

The human crossed her arms over her chest, "Why not?"

"You don't need it."

"I think I do..." Rin mumbled, looking down to the hardwood floor as she walked to his side.

"Are you suggesting I cannot protect you?"

"No." Rin responded immediately, trying not to smile at the daiyoukai in case he took further offense. 'Of course he would take it like that...' She knew by now how to get him to agree with something. Pleading didn't work, anger would just make it worse, but the daiyoukai seemed to not like it if she looked disappointed or sad... "It makes me feel better. Please?"

He glanced at her. A long exhale escaped from his nose before he replied, "Fine. I will. You start after the Wild Hunt is over."

Rin smiled, "Thanks!" The daiyoukai made no comment. She took the quiet time to wander his main study, her fingers running along spines of shelved books for anything interesting, then admiring the elaborate workmanship of the fireplace mantle. Anything to keep her occupied, ignoring the tingling want in her fingers to run them through his soft mane. Her eyes drifted to the portraits of impressive landscapes that decorated the room, they seemed to be all in the same style. 'I wonder who painted those?'

The daiyoukai was the one who broke the silence this time, "Your friend will be seeking asylum here. Inuyasha is bringing her in when the festivities begin."

"Friend...? Kagome!?" Rin gasped, running back to Sesshomaru's side that instant when he nodded, "Asylum? Is she alright? What happened?"

"She believes she is in danger. I'm inclined to agree. It would not be wise for future relations with the traditional mikos to leave her unprote-" Rin cupped his face and kissed the daiyoukai right on the lips, bubbling with joy. Kagome was fine, _and_ she was going to be safe _and_ be with her!

She pulled away from the stunned inuyoukai just enough to say, "That makes me so happy! Thank you!" She had _just_ realized what she had done. 'You were making out him just last night on your bed and _now_ you have a problem?' Her mind scolded but she brushed off that piece of logic. "I, er, s-sorry." She started sheepishly as she let go of his face, moving further away but he grabbed her before she could run off and hide in utter embarrassment.

Rin gasped at the unexpected urgency of his kiss, being pulled once more into his lap. She finally relieved the urge of her hands in his perfect mane, marveling in the feel of the silky-smooth tresses between her fingers. Her passion lit up as the vibration of his pleased growl rumbled her body, pushing her deeper in his kiss and urging her to take control. She moved down from his lips and nibbled down his exposed neck, the near-inaudible groan from the daiyoukai encouraging her.

A dark unexplored corner of her mind convinced her to go on, pulling his head back by the hair to gain more access to his neck. She let her blunt teeth scrape his tough, flawless skin and hissed when his claws pinched her skin as he pulled her impossibly closer. When she looked back at his face, that stoic expression was gone, replaced a look that was eerily similar to her dream...

And that unknown part of her found she enjoyed being someone who could break the chains of his control.

The rest of her mind slammed the brakes at the thought in disbelief, catching up with her body, with her surroundings. 'What am I doing!?' She thought, her eyes flickering to his throat that he just allowed her ravish with zero complaint, with not even a bit of objection. "I..." She tried to start, suddenly hyper-aware of her heart pounding, of her breathless voice, of her body over his. Was it him losing control or her? 'What is wrong with me?'

Sesshomaru furrowed his brows as the red receded from his gaze, perhaps catching her change of mood in her scent, "Rin?"

She smiled at him, temporarily ramming the thoughts away to try to make her grin convincing as she could, using the moment to sneak out of his lap. "I shouldn't distract you, you have so much work to do!" She ignored the confusion flickering in his eyes and started to leave the room, not turning back at all. She couldn't look back. "I _gotta_ let Minako know about Kagome! Bye!"

-:-

_Two Days Later_

"These are new, aren't they?" Inukimi commented as she stood in front of two paintings on the right side of his study. "When will you be giving this artist's number? I want a piece for my living room."

"She's dead." The daiyoukai replied, his gaze flickering to the paintings momentarily.

"What a shame." Inukimi sighed, then turned to face him. "You're being very peculiar as of late... That girl's scent has gotten stale on you, is that the problem?" Sesshomaru shot his mother a side glare before returning his attention back to his scout's reports.

He already had a tense business meeting with some youkai small business owners that were nervous about the attacks on their human-friendly establishments in the morning, coupled with the knowledge that those same strikes were going to continue. Tonight. Ryūkotsusei's men were planning three attacks somewhere in the east and south districts.

Naraku implicated that the mikos employed by the city seemed not be too concerned about it, going as far as to purposely delay the Slayer's response time to up the count of injuries and casualties during these attacks to fuel the ire boiling between species. He did not know how much he could trust the spider's word, he would gain nothing from lying about it, but perhaps the miko could shed some light on this regardless.

Speaking of Rin's friend... now it also seemed Inuyasha would not be able to hold off on bringing in the miko till tomorrow night under the guise of the festivities, as they were being tracked by Slayers. A minor inconvenience, but now it meant more of his men will be aware of the miko's status before she is allowed in, instead of just thinking she was simply human, something he had wanted to avoid.

And, yes, he begrudgingly admitted to only himself that perhaps all that would have seemed less stressful if Rin was not avoiding him for some inexplicable reason.

His mother wouldn't drop it, speaking with that grating voice she used as if she knew something he did not, "That poor girl. You know how human virgins are, don't you? Have you never had one? So scared and unsure but still wanting _so much_. Oh, and the lack of a mother all this time... No one to confine in about her feelings and about _boys_. I can't imagine how _overwhelming_ having a daiyoukai's desire must be to her weak little mind and body."

"Do you have no one else to bother?" The daiyoukai questioned. While her words seemed to make some sense, coming from her made them untrustworthy. How quickly she warmed up to Rin, despite her being human and getting a spot in his pack before her, was highly out-of-character.

"I could bother the girl, I suppose. Would you prefer that?"

"Leave her."

"Yes, yes, I'll leave the little bird alone. She already has to deal with _you_." The older woman said as she waved her son off. He gave a short glance, that was far too easy. "Lord Ryūkotsusei's men are attacking establishments going against his ideals, according to my own scouts. Is there battle looming on the horizon?"

"If he is foolish enough to attack what is mine." Which he already had when he killed Rin. He felt his mother standing next to him and looked up at her, a strange look in her lemony eyes that he couldn't place.

"Your last battle with Ryūkotsusei was a close one... even with Inuyasha's help."

"You don't believe I can kill him again?"

She gave him a small smirk, "Oh hush, I know you can." Her frown returned and the woman cocked her head to the side, "That doesn't mean I don't worry, my son."

He didn't respond to her, feeling her words were hollow as they always had been. She was worried over the security of her sanctuary in the mountains, not him. He rose from his desk, "I have business to attend to. You will have to find another to toy with." He said in parting, leaving his study to search for Rin.

-:-

Rin let out a long sigh, staring up the blue-tinged clouds of the sky above. Her back laid flat against the manicured grass, arms and legs spread open as the sun warmed her skin from the slight breeze. She was bored. Bored out of her mind. Minako was too busy in the kitchens, Saiten was busy with security around the festival. She was too afraid of Inukimi making some kind of inappropriate comments about Sesshomaru.

And what about Sesshomaru...? Well...

'I can't see him again.' Rin was already embarrassed by the thought. Each passing day, she got worse, the dreams got worse. She would wave if she saw him passing, but never stopped, was locking her doors at night to sleep alone (though she still kept his fur on her bed), and hasn't entered his study since he gave her the news about Kagome...

When she wasn't dreaming, she was daydreaming. Her unoccupied mind quickly liked to remind her of the last time she was in his study and would drift off into not-so-innocent thoughts of being on top of the inuyoukai in more... intimate way.

It didn't help she couldn't control the way her body heated up when seeing him, remembering his hungry kiss, or the way the moonlight accented his abs, or the feel of his lips against her neck, or how nice it felt to be on his lap, or wonder how he would feel-'And I'm doing it again!' She vigorously shook her head, trying to physically push the naughty thoughts away.

She could see Yura wagging a disapproving finger at her, telling her to man up and go get him and that she desperately needed to go get laid if she was reduced to only be thinking about sex. The image did draw a small giggle from her, but she couldn't help but think there was some truth to it...

'No, no, I'm fine...' She just... She needed distraction, _almost_ hoping that the dragon would show up again to get her mind off of things.

"I can't wait till Kagome gets here..." Then someone can be bored with her, plus get her mind off a very attractive daiyoukai. The sound of rustling got her attention, there was a large youkai with orange-tanned colored skin riddled with scars, his large blue eyes glanced at her before he hurriedly finished tending the garden. She lifted off the ground and introduced herself, "Hi! I'm Rin!"

"Hello... I'm Jinenji." The youkai seemed tense, so she dropped to her knees with his wicker basket between them with a smile.

"I've never seen a youkai like you, can I ask what kind you are?"

"I, uhm... I'm not youkai, I'm hanyou..."

"Oh!" 'Is that why his wounds scarred? Sesshomaru doesn't seem to have any scars, I think...' "What do you do here?"

"I tend the herb garden... for both the cooks and for my healing practice."

"You're a herbalist?" The hanyou nodded. "I've never seen a sick youkai, or one never heal."

Jinenji hummed in understanding, "Many of my patients are children who played too rough or eat something they shouldn't have... Occasionally, the wounded soldier who needs to heal faster or has been poisoned."

"Is modern medicine bad for youkai?" She certainly never saw a youkai take pills either...

"It is more complicated. With so many sub-species... in a pinch, a veterinarian may be able to prescribe something if they treat the youkai as an animal..." Jinenji stood, towering over, well, everything. "But many youkai don't like that comparison." He grabbed the basket filled to the brim with freshly picked greens, "I must go to separate and store these. It was nice speaking to you, Rin."

"Same here..." Rin watched the hanyou leave, heading to a shack not too far from the garden. She got up, stretched, and sighed, realizing she was bored again.

"I need a job." She mumbled, making her way back inside the castle. She really did. Aside from having nothing to do until Ryūkotsusei shows up on radar again—if Sesshomaru would let her do anything... or even tell her- she also had no money of her own to do anything outside of the castle walls, not wanting to dip into her savings from the party.

The human wasn't going to ask Sesshomaru again, 'He already gave way, way, way more than enough to me.' But where would she find a job and would the daiyoukai let her? 'Probably not. He would take it as him not providing enough like he did when I asked to be train. Oh, well, at least Kagome is coming and some events start tomorrow.'

"Rin."

'He is going to give me a heart attack one day.' Rin thought, calming her surprised nerves as she turned to face the daiyoukai... the one she had been avoiding. "Y-yes?"

"Come with me." She noticed his command was curt and his body was rather stiff as she followed the daiyoukai to the back of the castle. Not that he wasn't usually curt and stiff, but he seemed more so than usual.

"Where are we going?" He didn't respond, or even glance back at her. Rin frowned, then began to hear a man and woman arguing as they walked down a hall.

"Why are you being such a brat?!"

"Brat!? You were the one complaining all the way here!"

'Kagome?!' That was her voice, but wasn't she coming tomorrow? The other must be... Sesshomaru's brother?

"Because you were being a pain in the ass!"

"I was not!"

"Yeah, you wouldn't shut the hell up!"

The two entered the room with the shouting couple, and Sesshomaru spoke, "Yelling is not bringing her in quietly, Inuyasha."

"Tch, you should have warned me she had such a big mouth."

"I do not-" And the woman laid her eyes on Rin, her previous anger forgotten. "RIN!" The two ran into a hug, the miko in near tears, squeezing her tight, "Oh god, I thought you were _dead_ , Rin. There was so much blood when Sesshomaru took you away..."

"I'm fine now-" Rin started but stopped to laugh at Kagome's perfectly bewildered expression.

"What? You're—Oh my god!" The miko bounced in place in excitement, then embraced her again, "You're talking!"

"Sesshomaru helped me." Rin said explained, flashing the daiyoukai a quick smile but instead of the usual hint of softness, his gaze was as placid as it was with everyone else.

The dog-eared man raised his thick brows, his golden gaze shifting between them both as he crossed his arms, "Oh, _did he_?"

" _Inuyasha_..." The daiyoukai said his brother's name in a warning tone.

"Yes, he healed me." Rin answered, ignoring Sesshomaru.

"How?" Kagome asked, "You are speaking _perfectly_ , its crazy!"

"Did you use Tenseiga on her?" Inuyasha questioned his brother, who narrowed his eyes in response.

"That is not your business."

"Why can't he know?" Rin asked the daiyoukai, not understanding what was going on.

"So you _did_?" Inuyasha started, "When was the last time you used that thing? I'm surprised it wasn't rusted into its stealth." It didn't surprise her to learn he rarely used it, he didn't seem the type.

"Why are you here early?" The daiyoukai asked, ignoring the hanyou's comments.

"Because we had a Slayer Unit riding on our ass since yesterday. This morning, a miko joined them. I wasn't going to stick around until they made it impossible to leave." Inuyasha explained, before jutting his chin at Rin's direction. "So, why'd ya bring her back?"

The daiyoukai didn't hesitate before replying, "She is assisting in the matter with Ryūkotsusei, along with the miko." While she was well aware that was the reason, hearing it come from him is a such a biting tone made her wince internally.

" _Oh_ , she's the guardian chick? Why didn't you just say that? Jeez." 'So, Inuyasha knows everything?' _That_ did surprise her. Weeks ago, he didn't want the hanyou involved at all. Seemed that whatever Sesshomaru said, he trusted his brother to some extent, at least more than his mother who was still in the dark. Inuyasha took a quick sniff in her direction, and scoffed, "Are you sure that's it? Smells like you've slept with her—Hey! OW!"

Kagome pulled on the hanyou's ear, "You're so _rude_! You can't just say things like that!"

"Ah, Kagome, he doesn't mean-" Rin tried. She really did.

"LET ME GO, WOMAN!" Inuyasha yelled, then a small whimper escaped him when Kagome tugged harder.

"Not until you apologize!" The miko growled, "And my name is Kagome! KA-GO-ME!"

Rin sighed and looked at the daiyoukai, who eyes were narrowed into a death glare. 'Uh oh.' She quickly grabbed her friend, causing her to finally let go of the hanyou. "Let me show you around! You won't guess who else is here." And dragged her out of the room, down the hall with the miko trying to gain her footing.

"Ah, Rin? What?"

"You were getting Sesshomaru angry."

"It's not my fault his brother-"

"You were both being ridiculous!" Rin exclaimed, "I've never seen you get so mad before..."

"Ugh, he just—UGH! He is impossible!" Kagome hissed, falling in step with her.

"How? Weren't you only with him for a day?"

"That was more than enough for the rest of my life." The miko said with finality, before she sighed and switched subjects, "So who else is here?"

"Minako!"

"No way!" Kagome cheered.

"Yeah, she might be too busy to see us though, with the festival and the food and the shows starting tomorrow..."

"Festival?"

"Yup! You are just in time for some youkai celebration!"

Kagome laughed, "Really? I've never been to one. What are we celebrating?"

Rin was bringing Kagome up to speed about the current festivities on base when Jaken approached them. "EHEM." The two humans stopped talking and looked down at the short youkai. "I'm here to lead the new _human_ to her room."

"My name is Kagome." The miko grumbled, but they both followed all the same. 'This must be the guest hall.' Rin thought as they entered a separate wing from her own. "Wow, this is beautiful. Thank you!" Kagome said as she wandered around the guest room, not noticing the imp already ran off. "Where are you staying, Rin?"

"Ah..." Rin blushed, "I'm not in this hall, I'm across the main room with Sesshomaru-"

"So what Inuyasha said earlier-"

"He didn't mean sex!" How many times will she have to yell this?

"Oh..." Kagome scrunched up her face, "He shouldn't just be shouting about that stuff regardless. That's private between you two."

"I don't think anything is private between inuyoukai considering how strong their noses are." Rin said with a shrug.

"I guess so..." A sly grin appeared on the miko's lips, "Any new developments between you two?"

"N-no. He is really busy all the time..."

"You sound disappointed."

"You don't have any clothes! You can borrow something from my closet—"

"Rin..." The miko said with a hint of warning.

Rin sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I... I've been avoiding him the past couple of days..."

Kagome looked concerned as she joined her, "Did he do something?"

"Nothing unwanted..." Rin mumbled under her breath, but the miko still caught it.

"Then why are you avoiding him?"

"Because I'm turning into Yura."

Kagome laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "If you want him that bad... I'm surprised how nervous you are, we used to tease men for a living, you know, _just_ a few days ago. Remember?"

"Yeah, I know, I know... but he is different."

"I'll admit, if I was mute my whole life then someone gave me my voice back, I would see them a bit differently..."

"Its not _just_ that."

"What do you mean?"

"He brought me back from the dead. His blade resurrects people."

"Oh... Oh my god..." Kagome squeezed her hand, her expression worried, "So you were _dead_?" She nodded. "How did that... feel?"

"First it was cold and dark... then it was really bright... I was at home with my mother... We talked for a bit... and I woke up here. It all happened so quickly, it didn't feel that much different than a nap really."

"That's amazing, Rin... Does it bother you that he did that?"

"No, no..." She shook her head, "Why would it? I'm so grateful..."

Kagome sighed, dropping her back on the bed with her arms spread. "I wish someone cared enough to do something like that for me..." Rin giggled. "What?"

"I thought that would be something you'd say." Rin replied, "Plus, he already said why he did it, and it wasn't _that_."

"I mean, its not like he _absolutely_ needs you at this point, right? Ryūkotsusei has the jewel, now they need to get rid of him somehow." Kagome shrugged, "Doesn't seem like much you can do since its going to be fighting from now on once he comes out of whatever hole he is plotting in. So, he _must_ have other reasons for bringing you back."

Rin didn't consider Kagome's words for long, "I don't think its that deep." She said, with a soft chuckle. "Also... I think he is mad at me."

"For avoiding him?"

"Maybe... He seemed off with me today."

"You know what you have to do, right?"

"Talk to him, I know... After a quiet dinner _and_ a few drinks..."

-:-

But fate wasn't letting that happen as she planned because now that Inuyasha was here, it meant _everyone_ had dinner together and, as pack, she was essentially required to attend. At least she was able to bring Kagome with her...

"Can you pass the rice, please?"

The hanyou sneered, "Here you go, woman."

"I have a name, you know."

But that _may_ have been a bad idea.

"I'll call you woman if I feel like it, woman."

"I guess I'll call you baka since a name seems _so_ difficult for you."

"I'm not an idiot!"

"Then use my name!"

"Do you two need a room? We have many here." The female daiyoukai cut in, making them both look at her in shock.

The hanyou gave her a disgusted look, "Like I'd touch her."

"Like I'd want you to!" Kagome looked offended naturally, "And you didn't seem to have a problem _groping_ my thighs earlier!" Inukimi raised her brows at the proclamation, looking at her Inuyasha with laughing eyes.

The hanyou's face turned red, "How else was I going to carry you over the wall?! You're the one wearing that ridiculously short skirt!"

'Are these two serious?' Rin thought, watching him bicker with no shame. At least the Lady Mother seemed to think it was hilarious, but Sesshomaru clearly felt the opposite, an annoyed tick in his jaw.

"Literally any other way—ah!" Rin pulled Kagome close to her, whispering harshly,

"What are you doing?!"

"He's being-"

"Who cares?! Just ignore the baka when he's baiting you."

"I can hear you-"

" **Shut up.** " Rin snapped at the hanyou, whose eyes grew wide and ears shied back at the growl... and surprising herself as she actually hadn't heard her angry voice yet. She was trying to channel Sesshomaru, so judging by the looks of their faces, it probably worked? She turned back to Kagome and tried to whisper lower, but she knew they would catch it anyway. "Its your first night here... and you've just been annoying the _man of the house since you got here_." She hoped she didn't have to explain why that was such a bad thing... She knew the miko was better than that.

Kagome suddenly blushed deeply, mortified, "Oh god, you're right." She pulled herself away from Rin and bowed her head toward Sesshomaru. "I'm... I'm so sorry for all the yelling! That's incredibly rude of me. And I never properly thanked you earlier so, uh,... _Thank you_ for letting me stay in your beautiful home a-and for helping Rin!"

"Hn." Was the only response the miko got, and the only one Rin knew she was going to get, but the other woman didn't _understand_ that yet... And Rin elbowed Kagome when she saw that temper flare back up in her eyes before the miko said anything to the youkai lord.

Trying to direct her attention away, Rin asked, "Kagome, can you pass the pork?"

"Oh sure, here."

"Were you able to talk to Sango and Yura at all?"

Kagome sighed sadly, "No, _that one_ insisted we were being watched and wanted to come here right away."

"We were." Inuyasha spat, before taking a large bite of meat.

"They must be worried..." Rin frowned, ignoring the hanyou, "I wish we can tell them something, _anything_..."

"Oh? Why have you shut these humans from their companions, Sesshomaru? Surely a _pack member_ has the ability to contact whomever she wishes..." Inukimi asked her son, an innocent curiosity in her voice.

"It doesn't concern you, mother."

Rin frowned at the hurt look that flashed across the Lady Mother's face and she knew she couldn't stay silent, "It is for the best, Inukimi. We don't want to put our friends in danger. That's all." Sesshomaru threw her a cold glare and the female daiyoukai just hummed in understanding, continuing her meal.

Thankfully, the rest of the dinner was normal chatter, mostly between the women, with Kagome successfully not yelling at Inuyasha... by completely ignoring _every single thing_ he said, rude or not. "That's not what I meant." Rin whispered, but Kagome just shrugged.

Once they were all finished and rising from the table, Sesshomaru left without a word as Rin stared at his back until he turned the corner, out of sight. The Lady Mother let out a dramatic sigh, "How about I take these two..." The female daiyoukai started, linking her one arm around the miko and the other around the hanyou, who both looked rather lost. "And you, little Rin, figure out why my son has been brooding recently, hm? He certainly won't speak to _me_ about it."

"O-okay..." Rin watched the daiyoukai pull away the confused Kagome and flailing Inuyasha with ease. She took a deep breath and decided to follow Sesshomaru, hoping he hadn't gone off too far... and that the mojitos during dinner would help her out once she got to him.

-:-

Rin totally lost him.

'Or did he lose me on purpose?' He had to know she was following, right? "Sesshomaru?" 'What did his name mean anyway? That's too elaborate-sounding to not mean something.' She then realized not only did she lose him, but she lost herself. 'Where am I?' "I'm such an idiot." The human muttered, keeping to her right-hand side as she went through the maze of hallways, hoping to end up in the main lobby at one point.

"If you would just stop acting like a scared little virgin, Rin, you would not be in this situation right now..." Staying on her right-hand was not getting her anywhere. She was clearly in some part of the massive castle she had yet to wander in. "Okay, let's try left..."

'And now I'm outside... still don't know where.' "Sesshomaru...?" 'Nothing.' She noticed a gravel path-way leading into a wooded area and decided... "Why not?" Rin trotted down the path, swaying a bit with the wind. 'Man, its getting cold... I wonder how long this place has been here...' She gasped when she hit a red bridge, the one she could see from her bedroom window. "Not lost anymore. TAKE _THAT_ ,CASTLE!" Though the castle could argue she had to leave to find out where she was...

Was she talking to a building? 'Too many mojitos.'

The human hummed softly as she leaned over the wooden railing and looked down into the gently-flowing river below, momentarily transfixed by the vast stars that reflected onto the water. The shimmering couldn't help but remind her of... "Sesshomaru..." She dropped her head onto the crossed arms, "I'm so hopeless."

What was she going to say when she got to him anyway?

'Apologize...!' "How?" 'I'm sorry I've been running away from you these past couple of days. I know you brought me back from the dead, then trusted me into your family-pack-youkai-thing and all, but, you see, I'm just a weak-willed human who can't control her sexual desires around you...' Her face scrunched up, "That's too long." 'Do I really have to explain all that much?' "He is probably going to ask why." 'I would... but I don't know _know_ why. In the end, its just a bunch of random excuses.' "I'm such an idiot."

"You have made a habit of conversing with yourself."

"AH!" Rin jumped back at the deep voice, hand on her chest, "You! You have to stop doing that."

"You called. Repeatedly." The daiyoukai seemed annoyed.

"I..." The human gulped, "How long...? What did you hear?"

"A few words. Nothing intelligible." Sesshomaru replied, smoothly walking to stand beside her.

"I'm sorry." Rin, not-so-smoothly, blurted out. She didn't know what to follow up with that, so she was going to let Sesshomaru take it wherever it needed to go for him to stop looking at her with that indifferent expression, like she was someone else entirely, like someone that didn't matter one bit.

"For?"

"Avoiding you... I'm sorry." She couldn't look at him, but god, she wanted to touch him. She choose to pick at some peeling paint on the railing as a poor consolation.

"Why?"

"I, uhm..." She was still working on that. "I don't..." There was a few seconds of silence Rin didn't notice as she still assembling words in her head.

"The room next to your friend's is ready. You will sleep there from now on."

'What?' When she looked back, he was already walking away. "What?" Rin quickly caught up to him, standing in his way. "W-why?"

"It is clear you no longer wish to be-"

"No." Rin interrupted him, which she knew he hated, judging by the dangerous narrowing of his frigid golden gaze, but she had a feeling of what he was going to say, and no... "I've haven't backed away from anything. I want to stay in this."

"I do not care for your words. Your actions say otherwise."

"Its just... hard to be around you. I didn't mean-"

"Then you no longer need to force yourself."

'I totally screwed up.' Rin thought, regarding the daiyoukai's silent anger as he made a move to go around her. 'Did I word that wrong? Oh god, let's just start from the top.' "W-Wait!" She stepped in his way again, pressing her hands against his chest, "I'm sorry for avoiding you, you haven't done anything wrong at all. I'm just... an idiot." She sighed, 'Help me out, mojitos.'

"I like your company, Sesshomaru... But its hard to be around you... because every time you are near me, I want to touch you, and so its so _freaking_ hard not to." Her hands were still on his chest, and she pulled them away and hid them under her armpits. "Because every time you look at me, I never want you to look away. And my stupid head can't stop thinking about you, and its stupid and frustrating and, and it just..." She made some waving motion with her hands, unable to find the words to continue that train of thought.

"You know, some of this is hard to figure out without a youkai nose or hearing... If you don't say something, I can't just... sniff your emotions out like you do with me..." She was rambling. "And Ijust need to... stop... talking..." Cue the face in her hands, she just couldn't keep going.

"Rin." 'Nope. Can't look.' She felt his hands on each side of her waist and she was thankful her blushing face was already hidden... but she didn't see the nip on her ear coming.

"H-hey!" She growled, now looking up at the daiyoukai who... was laughing at her! 'Not literally but...' Amusement clearly lit up Sesshomaru's gaze, and while she found it _infinitely_ better than the previous coldness, she also did not like being made fun of! "S-stop laughing at me!"

"I am doing no such thing."

"I see it in your eyes." Rin explained, feeling a bit whimsical now that the mood was light, as she finally gave into the want of touching him, choosing to run her hands through his hair. Right now, she saw many things flickering through his golden gaze, though one stood out the most... And she met him halfway, relishing in the feel of his lips against hers, realizing just how much she missed it in just two days. She pulled away to shyly ask, "I don't have to go away...?"

"That was never an option."

Rin blinked in confusion, "W... What?! You just said a room-"

"That was a lie."

"I thought the great Lord Sesshomaru doesn't lie." Rin teased, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It seems when dealing with a 'scared little virgin' as you put it, it can become necessary. Is that why you have been avoiding me? Have I scared you?"

"You... You said you didn't hear everything!" She exclaimed, skipping his question.

"I didn't hear what you didn't say."

"I... You..." She was at a lost with words again and simply turned around, "I'm going to bed..." But she didn't hear his near-silent footfalls behind her and she looked back to him still standing there... and the human pouted. Rin walked back to slip her fingers around his and pulled him with her, "... with you."

"Were you requesting I be more vocal with you earlier?"

"Yeah-" Rin squeaked when the daiyoukai swept her off her feet and jumped from the dirt path to her balcony in one leap. "Like a warning there would have been nice..." She said, laughing as he set her back down.

"Unnecessary." He opened her balcony door and she slipped inside.

"Fine, fine... but for more, uhm, personal things, it would help..." Rin elaborated, pulling out more comfortable clothing from her dresser. She glanced back and the daiyoukai took the cue to turn his back to her as she started changing.

"You ask me to be more outspoken... but you were the one avoiding me with no explanation."

'Well, he is right.' Though, she didn't want to admit it. "B-Because I don't know what you are thinking! You can smell my emotions all over the place and its not fair. You know when I'm angry, sad, happy or... _the other thing_ with just a quick whiff!" She pouted, slipping into a large t-shirt that stopped mid-thigh. "And its embarrassing! How do you deal with someone else knowing you want them without having time to think about it?"

"If its mutual, we fuck." Rin nearly slipped when she turned around, not expecting such a blunt statement from Sesshomaru, at least, not _worded_ like that. He raised an eyebrow at her reaction, "Is something wrong?"

"N-no." She should have known it would be no big deal to the powerful daiyoukai... "Don't you have to be careful, as royalty I mean? Don't others try to take advantage...?" 'Rin, he probably kills them.' Her mind stated as if it was the most _obvious_ thing in the world.

"They are dealt with." 'He kills them.' "But most are not so foolish. A night with me is more than enough to quell their desires."

Rin started giggling, she found something funny in the arrogance in his tone, "Is that so?" She asked, closing the distance between them as she grabbed the lapels of his jacket and kissed the daiyoukai without thought. She shyly swiped her tongue along his bottom lip, asking for permission. She felt a low rumbling under her hands as the daiyoukai deepened the kiss, and when he pulled her body against his, she realized she got herself in the very position she was trying to avoid for the past couple of days.

Kissing him, in her room, and now with just a t-shirt and undergarments on. She shouldn't keep tempting a daiyoukai the way she was. What if... what if he truly lost _complete_ control with her constant teasing?

Sesshomaru was the one who pulled away, his passive eyes boring into her own, scrutinizing as if he was trying to understand something. Did her scent leak her emotions out again? She was starting to get jealous, and irritated, of his nose. His clawed hand came up into her black hair and she let out a relaxed sigh at his touch, "You still hesitate. Are you ashamed of your desires?"

"N-no." 'Who would be ashamed of wanting him?' "I just..." She took in a shaky breath, her mind hitting her with bits and pieces of her father. The thoughts of him she was constantly trying to deflect with thoughts of Sesshomaru, which she tried to deflect with thoughts of the dragon, which she tried to deflect with absolutely anything else. Her mind was a complete mess, trying to avoid anything that made her feel too strongly whether it was positive or negative.

It would help if she tried to clear some of her plaguing thoughts, she knew, and tried with the one right in front of her. "You won't..." Rin licked her lips nervously, "You won't hurt me... right?" Her voice sounded so small and pathetic, it instantly tore her confidence and made her feel ridiculous.

"An alpha does not harm his packmates." The daiyoukai answered, his hand moving to her cheek.

"A father isn't suppose to harm his daughter either..." Rin mumbled, her eyes dropping to the hardwood floor as she halfheartedly swiped his hand away. A bleak, scared part of her mind wanted to snap at him, that this instinct stuff was crap. That if he followed pack rules so well, why were his mother and brother exempt from that? What guarantee was there for her if there was nothing for them?

When she looked back at his hard eyes, she realized that she _didn't_ keep that in her mind and had voiced every thought. It immediately dragged her heart down to her stomach, feeling guilty. "I'm sorry." Rin whispered, hugged herself as she looked away from him again.

"If you knew my mother for as long as I have, you wouldn't be doubting my decision to keep her outside of this. You..." He paused, as if reluctant to continue which was a bit shocking coming from him. "...are different from them. I did not give you life again to abandon or harm you, Rin."

"I know... its for sealing the jewel." 'And that's fine.' She tried to convince herself, despite the sharp pain she felt when voicing it. 'That's how he is. And its fine...'

How did they end up here? Now, she couldn't look at him again, but out of shame, not stupid, shy embarrassment. She knew these feelings were irrational and all in her head. Sesshomaru hadn't done a thing for her to fear him, or to think he would hurt her or discard her. In fact, he had proved all the opposite... She just wanted to forget it all. "I'm tired." Her voice was shaky and she mentally cursed, she was going to cry, _again_. "Why am I so weak with you?"

'Its not fair.' The human pressed the heels of her palms in her eyes, 'Stop it, Rin. Stop being so damn needy.' She berated herself, 'No one wants someone like that...' The daiyoukai grabbed her wrists and pulled them away from her face, "Do not hide from me." He pulled her towards him, foreheads touching with his nose rubbing against her's, like that night after the party.

"S-sorry..." Rin whispered, wanting to look anywhere else but she couldn't, with his eyes straight ahead and his face so close to hers.

"Stop apologizing." He gave a short, quick lick to her right cheek where a tear had escaped, and she couldn't help the smile that twitched the corners of her lips. 'I don't think I'll ever get used to that.' She thought, the action caused her feel better almost instantaneously.

It made her think of him as puppy who was comforting their owner and she found it adorable, and she will absolutely _never ever_ let him know that. She felt his hands rest on her hips and her hands stayed on his chest as she let out a content sigh, enjoying his closeness. 'This youkai stuff must be rubbing off on me...' And the human found that she didn't want to share this with anyone... ever. "Do you... I mean... Are all packmates usually treated like this?"

"... No."

Rin frowned at his hesitation again, "Then how am I being treated?"

The daiyoukai let his lips brush aside hers for a moment, "As you should be." Before locking them in a soft, fleeting kiss. And it hurt, a strong emotion nearly strangled her heart and she couldn't place what or why. When he pulled away, it was too soon. She wanted more. "Do you wish for me to stay?" She nodded, not trusting her voice. "Then I will return shortly."

It felt so cold when he pulled away, and it was deathly quiet when he left. 'I'm being dramatic.' She swallowed hard, using the silent moment to get a wrangle on her emotions. 'He's just going to change probably.' "I'm such a mess." Rin made her way into her bed after turning off the lights, ignoring the comforter as usual to curl up with the boa instead.

"Hm... I left Kagome with your brother and mother, do you think she will be fine?" Rin asked when she heard the lock of her bedroom door click, suddenly remembering about her poor friend who she completely ditched.

Sesshomaru sneaked into her bed and nipped her earlobe-"Hey! Ow!"-before correcting her, " _Half-brother_."

"That's just too annoying to say _all_ the time." Rin complained.

"Your friend will be fine if she can endure my mother's relentless mocking and questioning." Sesshomaru replied, dismissing her objection. "However, judging by her lack of patience with Inuyasha, she does not stand a chance."

Rin rested her forearm over her eyes, groaning in exaggerated despair, "I'm so going to hear it from her tomorrow." The daiyoukai made a noise of agreement before making himself comfortable, Rin instinctively turning to face him as she yawned before settling beside him.

"Are you going to watch any... of the shows or... anything tomorrow?" She asked, her voice becoming groggy as that familiar hand tangled in her dark tresses, fingertips rubbing her scalp softly.

"There are things I must attend to in the city, I will likely not return until the next day."

"Oh..." Rin frowned, disheartened by the news while simultaneously thankful she spoke to him before he left... and now not wanting rest to not cut their time short. She tried to ask what business he had but her words were a jumbled mess as she fought her heavy eyelids. She felt this sort of warm pressure over herself, something like being wrapped tightly in a comforter straight out the dryer on a cold night, despite only having his arm over her.

'Is he doing this...?' She thought, hearing his gentle command to sleep and her tried mind compiling almost instantly.

-:-

"My ass hurts." Yura complained as she changed into her casual clothing.

"You were very clumsy today." Sango chuckled, closing her locker.

"Can I crash at your place again...?" The youkai asked with a pout.

"Yeah, of course..." The two were quiet until they left the club, walking beside each other to Sango's apartment. "Do you think they're okay...?"

"They have to be..."

Yura began chewing on her bottom lip, "The others aren't. They're gone. We haven't seen or heard from Ryūkotsusei or Sesshomaru. Everyone's gone dark."

"I know." Sango fiddled with her keys, then both entered the building.

"You're being pretty cool about this." Yura sniffled, blinking away the water in her eyes.

The human sighed, defeated, "I know they're okay."

"How?" Sango didn't answer but Yura saw her pursing her lips, something she did when nervous. "You've seen them?!"

"No... but I know Kagome was stable in a hospital, then she ran off... and Sesshomaru took Rin away. I don't think he'll hurt her." The human grabbed two sodas, ignoring Yura's bewildered expression.

"How do you know? When... Why didn't we see her?"

"I can't..." The human was looked torn, "I can't tell you how I know, but Yura, please believe me, they are fine." She passed her a soda and the hair youkai accepted it with a frown,

"We've been working together for years, Sango..." Her magenta eyes pleaded with the human, "I don't want more secrets."

Sango fiddled with the tab of her open can, "I can't." She said with finality, "It could put you danger... and we are both in enough as it is."

"What do you mean?" Yura asked as Sango sat beside her on the couch. The human turned on the television and flipped through the channels until she got to one giving live news coverage of an attack committed in a human-youkai relations facility on the east side.

"That's within Ryūkotsusei's territory..." The hair youkai mumbled, watching the flames that engulfed the building roar into the sky as a water-youkai fire fighter flew over the blaze, trying to contain it. The news caster mentioned that 7 government employees and 2 Slayers were seriously injured. There were 3 casualties, one being the only full-youkai that worked at the department, and 2 human employees.

"It is..."

"You think he did this?"

Sango sneered, "I _know_ he did this."

"He talked big all the time about overthrowing humans, Sango." Yura started, unsure, "ALL THE TIME. Since before you were born. What is different now? Why would he suddenly decide to take action...?"

"I don't know..." The human shrugged, her hard brown eyes not leaving the TV screen. "I think only Rin, Kagome and Sesshomaru know the answer to that."

"What's that got to do with us?"

"We were her only friends, we are the last ones who saw them..."

"You think he is going to come after us?"

"I don't know... but it wouldn't surprise me."

Yura took a sip of the carbonated drink before asking, "Is that why Naraku has been at the club a lot more recently?"

"I was thinking that maybe..."

"Kuromaru hasn't replaced Rin and Kagome yet... He did it quickly before."

"He might be busy with whatever Naraku is asking for. Bankotsu came in today and left before you got there. It looked like serious business, not play." Sango pointed to the screen, "And this isn't the first attack... just the one that was too big to cover up..."

Yura furrowed her brows, "How do you know that?"

"Its my job..." Sango replied, her voice just below a whisper. She cleared her throat, "I think you should take that vacation you were talking about. Just in case. It would be safer."

"Are you kidding? First of all, Kuromaru will kill me. Second of all, no. You're acting weird. Rin is gone. Kagome is gone. I don't need to repeat all this." Yura slammed her drink down on the coffee table, "The only thing I'm going to be doing in my free time is finding out what the hell happened to everyone, possibly strangling that dragon in his own beautiful hair if need be. Pfft, maybe even Sesshomaru. I swear if they have been together this _whole time_ and still haven't laid with each other, I'm going to kill them all. AND then, only then, will I finally take that trip back to Spain. Maybe."

"Spain? I thought it was Italy."

"Don't change the subject!" Yura hissed, getting up to her feet. "You're going to tell me what you know and how and then we are going to find the girls and kick whomever ass we gotta kick."

The human shook her head, "Its not that simple."

"Yes it is!" The hair youkai crouched in front of her friend, with her hands on the human's knees. "You just open your mouth and say something like 'I'm a super-secret spy and I know everything about everyone' and then you tell me what you know and with our combined powers, we find our friends, we kill the bad guys, and then we all will be happily together again!"

"Your spirit is endearing, Yura, but you don't have the power to kill Ryūkotsusei nor can we find Sesshomaru to find Rin. Maybe Kagome is with them now, if that's true, they are a lot safer than us."

"... So you are a secret spy?"

"I didn't say that."

"It was the only part you didn't counter." Yura said, crossing her arms over her chest as she stood back up.

"It was so ridiculous, I didn't think it was necessary." The human explained, rolling her eyes at the youkai.

"Mmhmm, sureee." Yura said, clearly not believing her.

Sango fought the urge to roll her eyes again, "Yura, seriously..."

"I don't want to keep sitting around, waiting..." The hair youkai started, pacing around the front of the TV, "I did for Kikyo, I did for Kagura... I just can't sit here! I just can't keep working, living like whatever!" Sango quietly watched Yura rant, her gaze shifting from the aggravated youkai to her bedroom as if weighing her options. "I don't want to lose anyone else... I have to do something! Especially if that stupid dragon is trying to rile people up! He's going to-"

"Yura."

The youkai huffed at being interrupted, "What?"

Sango stood and began heading towards her bedroom, "Follow me."

Once in the room, the human began pulling the ends of the covers that wrapped under the bed. Yura raised a brow, "Its not like I never thought about it, but you could at least serve me some youkai wine first, maybe?"

Sango flushed at the hair youkai's suggestion before exclaiming, "S-stop being such a pervert!"

Yura began laughing heartily, a hand on her mid-section, "Are you actually blushing? You're so cute!"

The human growled, "Would you focus!? This is important!" And she pushed the mattress up from a concealed side handle and let it fall against the opposite wall, revealing that the entire of the bed frame was actually a safe.

"Why do you need such a big safe...?" Yura asked, watching with interest as Sango inputted the combination.

"Can't let anyone find this, can't let it out of my reach either." The human replied. The safe clicked then popped open, and Sango pushed up the heavy lid before propping it up with a metal pole.

Yura gasped, "What? Is that-"

"Yeah..." Sango reached in and pulled the cloaked boomerang from the safe. She unzipped the heavy-duty cloth, and smiled as she ran her hand down the smooth bone of Hiraikotsu. "Its been awhile..."

"So..." The youkai pointed to a Slayer insignia printed on the sash that was wrapped on both ends of the weapon, "You are totally a secret spy."

The human gave her an exasperated look, before grabbing a folded outfit that was also in the safe and what appeared to be armor plates. Kirara, having heard the commotion, skipped into the room and jumped onto Sango's shoulder with an excited meow.

"I have a pretty good idea where Ryūkotsusei might strike next. Hopefully we'll see some of Sesshomaru's men there too. We leave now, we'll get there in time." Sango took a deep breath, before looking straight into the hair youkai's eyes. "There is no doubt that this is extremely dangerous... But I can't keep sticking to the shadows and I could use a partner... Wanna come?"

Yura placed her hands on her hips, "You really got to ask? Hell yes! _Let's go_!"

**End of Chapter 11**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept writing as I was unhappy with the chapter as it was, to see if I would be okay with where it was going anyway. I needed a buffer between the last chapter and the next one, and I was having such a damn hard time with the flow here. Perhaps I'm being too picky and ridiculous.
> 
> But its done, finally, and the next two shouldn't take all that long since I know exactly kind of point per point what I'm going to write (for once)
> 
> For those who prefer something a bit (a lot) faster in terms of, uh, lemons, I'll be posting up a new Sess/Rin fic soon. C:
> 
> 5/4/17 Edit: Just fixed weird double spacing issue. Should be easier to read now!


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